The added-value of non-nurse lecturers teaching on nursing programmes

Dickinson, Julie

Abstract

This thesis investigated the added-value of non-nurse lecturers teaching on nursing programmes. In doing this it attempted to answer the following research questions:

• To what extent is the contribution of non-nurse lecturers defined in both theory and practice?
• What is their potential role in providing ‘added-value’ to pre- and post-registration nurse education?

To counteract what was seen as a deficit model in considering the non-nurses’ role, an added-value approach, as defined by Woodward (1993), informed the various approaches to collecting data and the overall structure.

The methodology reflected an interpretivist and critical paradigm, with the use of a number of data collection tools conforming to mixed methods research. The overall approach taken was phenomenological in nature and the data collected is largely qualitative.

Five surveys were conducted; including the collection of statistics on numbers of non-nurse lecturer posts and advertisements for nurse lecturers and researchers. Other surveys included; interviews with non-nurse lecturers and an online questionnaire for pre-registration nursing students. Official quality reviews were compared to look for differences between Higher Education Institutions, and elements of reflection were used throughout, alongside an extensive critique of supporting literature.

The thesis, due to its exploration of Nursing, Nurse Education and Higher Education, also explored the policy and philosophical context in some detail.

The non-nurse lecturers’ present and future role was discussed comprehensively and resulted in the following recommendations:

• Non-nurse lecturers need to have an equal role in facilitating interprofessional learning and encouraging interprofessional working in practice;
• Non-nurses lecturers should be valued for their discipline knowledge, in the enabling of HE specific skills and the depth of information they can provide in relevant subject areas;
• Non-nurse lecturers can encourage a HE culture for nurse education including the importance of research and scholarly activity; and
• Non-nurse lecturers need to be seen to benefit the evolution of nursing in encouraging both nurses and students to question existing norms, and in contributing to nursing and health and social care policies.

Citation

Dickinson, J. The added-value of non-nurse lecturers teaching on nursing programmes. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4211498

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Nov 22, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 22, 2023
• Keywords: Nursing; Education
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4211498
• Additional Information: Centre for Educational Studies, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Oct 1, 2010