Educating Nurses : A Call for Radical Transformation

Since the last national nursing education study forty years ago, profound changes in science, technology, patient activism, the market-driven health care environment, and the nature of nursing practice have all radically transformed nursing education.

The authors outline a clear vision of what nursing education can and should be and provide practical exemplars of how we can achieve this vision. This is a call for us to work together as guardians of the discipline to assure that future nurses enter the health care system ready and able to meet the challenges ahead. — PAMELA M. IRONSIDE, director, Center for Research in Nursing Education, Indiana University The profession of nursing in the United States is at a significant moment. Since the last national nursing education study almost forty years ago, profound changes in science, technology, and the nature and settings of nursing practice have reshaped the field. Yet schools have lagged behind in adapting to these changes. Added to this, the profession faces a shortage of nurses and nursing faculty. To meet these challenges, the authors assert that schools, service providers, and the profession must change. They recommend four controversial yet essential changes that are needed to transform nursing education. A volume in The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s ­Preparation for the Professions series, the book discusses key topics for the future of the field and offers revolutionary recommendations for change.