CURRENT TRENDS IN NURSING EDUCATION

Introduction
The changes that are occurring in the social and cultural life of the society as a results
of impact of advancement in the science based technology are broadly describes as
modernization. Since education is a multi polar process, it is influenced by the
modernization in different ways. Due to globalization and liberalization, changes occurring
in other parts of the world will also influence the education pattern of a country.
Definition
Education
Education is the development of all those capacities in the individual, which will
enables him to control his environment and fulfill possibilities.
(John Dewry, 2000)
According to Mahatma Gandhi, education is the all round drawing out of the best in
child and man body, mind and spirit.
Nursing education
Nursing education is a professional education which is consciously and systematically
planned and implemented through instruction and discipline and aims the harmonious
development of the physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and aesthetic power or
abilities of the student in order to render professional nursing care to people of all ages in all
phases of health and illness, in a variety of setting in the best or highest possible manner.
Aims of nursing education

Harmonious development
Nursing education aims the harmonious development of the physical, intellectual,
emotional, social, spiritual and aesthetic power of abilities of the student.
In short nursing education aims to prepare students as good human being with qualities
of a professional nurse.
Inculcating the right attitude
Right attitude towards nursing career. Nursing education offers a variety of learning
experienced with an aim to inculcate proper attitude among students.
Knowledge and skill aim
Nursing education provide the much needed knowledge and skill required to practice
the profession in successful manner.
Technological advancement in the field of education helps nurse educators to full fill
this aim in meticulous.
Emphasis on high tech high touch approach
High tech high touch approach in nursing care was devised to preserve th human
component of nursing care without undermining the advantages of the technological
advancement in the field of patient care.
Nurse instructors have to motivate the students to maintain the human elements of
nursing while rendering care with help of sophisticate gadgets.
Prepare students to take up a proactive role in nursing
The model teacher as the pivotal and dominant figure in education, presenting a variety
of information to pupils has practically disappeared.
Nurse instructor of today is considered as a facilitator of learning, whose main duty is
to prepare students to adopt a proactive role in learning.

Professional development
Nursing education prepares the students to render professional nursing care in the best
or highest possible manner.
Nurse educators can fulfill the professional aspirations of the students be way of
providing guidance, arranging adequate learning experiences and serving as role
models.
Assist to build a promising career
Nursing profession offer variety of career opportunities. Helping students to realize
their potential and interests will enable them to build a promising career.
Social aim
Nursing education prepares the students to become a useful member in the society. This
will in turn help them to interest effectively with the people and render dedicated care
without any discrimination.
To prepare global nurses
Globalization and liberalization has created world wide opportunities for professional
nurses ever than before. Today a competence nurse with good knowledge in English
can easily build a career in other nations.

Trends in nursing education

A profession is a dynamic integration of various faculties of knowledge. Since
nursing education is a professional education, it is dynamic by its own nature and theyre by
giving raise to trends.

1. Curriculum changes
Education aims the behavior modification of learners. It achieved through a series of
activities. Curriculum is concerned with guiding the teachers and students in educative
process.
Curriculum may be considered as a blue print of an educational programme. It is the
base of education on which the teaching learning process is planned and implemented. It
nearly resembles a cake in which care selected experiences are blended together little by
little.
Nursing curriculum is the learning opportunities and the learning activities that the
faculty plans and implement in various setting for a particular group of students for a period
of time to attain the objectives.
Flexible curriculum designs are evolving to facilitate diversity of educational
opportunity and overcome barriers of distance and time.
These curricular are often competency based focus on outcome and emphasize
student participation learning.
2. Innovations in teaching and learning
In nursing education lot of innovations taking place in the areas of teaching and
learning. Invariably these innovations lead to intellectual development, personal and career
development.
Application of scientific knowledge about learning and conditions of learning in order
to improve the effectiveness of teaching, learning and evaluation is taking place.
Self instructional module is also a learning package planned and prepared for the
beginning till end with an aim to facilitate self learning. It is self explanatory, self sufficient,
self directed, self motivating and self evaluating. It is also facilitate self learning. In the
strict sense, module is an organized collection of learning experiences assembled in order to
achieve a specified group of related objectives or a self contained section of a course of
programme of instruction.
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3. Educational quality assurance

Educational quality assurance is a process of monitoring and evaluating efficiency
and effectiveness of educational provision and to institute remedial measures as and when
needed.
At present the national nursing councils, state nursing council and universities are
more concentrate on quality nursing education and improvement of dignity and standard of
nursing.
Unlike past, nursing councils are strict to follow rules and regulations suggested by
international nursing council. According to these criteria each nursing institute or college
must fulfill all the required criteria.
Nursing collages also having well trained and highly qualified nurses teaching staff,
so, they are prioritizing the quality assurance in nursing education. Globalization is also a
contributing factor that encourages quality assurance in nursing education.
4. More reliance on technology
Technology exerts greater influence of nursing education as tool for teaching and
learning.
Technology explosion has yielded several new machines, materials and media which
have great potential for use in the educational enterprise. A judicious use of these together
with new functions and roles of educational personal in order to bring about more efficient
and effective teaching learning led to the development of new branch of study namely
educational technology. An adequate knowledge of theory and practice of educational
technology and their proper use would enable the teacher to understand and effectively
discharge his new roles in the present day education system.

Educational technology is a systematic way, a process or an application of the

scientific knowledge to improve the efficiency of the process of learning and teaching. It is
this considered to be the technology of education more than technology in education.

5. Emphasis in high tech high touch approach

High tech high touch approach in nursing care was devised to preserve the human
component of nursing care without undermining the advantages of technological
advancement in the field of patient care.
Present day nursing education is preparing the students to maintain the human
elements of nursing while caring the patients with the help of sophisticated gadgets.
Technology at present is changing daily in all the aspect to improve quality of present
facilities and providing new facilities. Health care facilities are not an exception of it.
At present more efficient and fast instrument are available in hospital to provide
maximum possible health care to extend life span. Nursing education at now a days
mentioned technological changes and instruments available to provide better patient care
and prepare efficient nurses.

6. Preparation of global nurses

Nursing education all set have reaped benefits created by globalization and global
perspective through providing learning experience to entire students knowledge in English
along with the attainment other objects.
As there is advancement in technology and tale-communication and the migration of
nurses increasing and distance have no meaning. So to fulfill the increasing demand of
world for nurses, every country is trying to prepare nurses that have knowledge without
boundaries of country and region.

Nursing education of today covering all the aspect of nursing care, which must be
appropriate in all setting. So that, a nurse from one country can works in another country
efficiently and effectively.
Tale-communication is also contributing to prepare global nurses through distance
education.
7. Transnational acceptance
Nursing educational programmes in one nation is widely accepted by other nations. In
fact, this transnational acceptance is the main reason for the development of nursing
education in the developing countries.
As the result of increasing demands of staff nurses and unable to fulfill the required
number of nurses from own country the health care agencies attracting towards other
countries for trained and efficient nursing staff. On other side the nurses from developing
country are attracting toward developed countries as because of more demand for efficient
staff, attracting salary and other facilities.
The main factor for acceptance of transnational nurses is using international standard
criteria for providing nursing education by nursing institutes and increased contact between
nations and exchange of human resources.

8. Ensuring a promising career

Nursing education ensures a promising career either in India or abroad.
A study conducted by Johnson and Johnson reveals that nursing education will
maintain this status at least for the coming twenty years.
Nursing is the one of the profession having maximum career opportunities. Around
80% of nurses are having part time or full time job. This is the highest number of persons on
job in any profession.

The expansion of health services in all over world and increasing population as well
as number of patients need a higher number of nurses to provide better nursing care. So the
job opportunities for nurses are also increasing.
The major factor that contributing in ensuring a promising career for nurses is rapid
progress in communication technology that helps to bring together the world.
9. Emergence of new specialists
In par with development in the medical and allied fields, nursing education is also
offering new specialties to meet the needs of the community.
The increasing number of patient lack sufficient doctors to maintain doctor-patient
ratio. So there is a emergence of new specialties in nursing such as special courses like nurse
anesthetist, nurse practitioner, community nurse practitioner etc.
The nurse in todays world having opportunities to serve the patient independently.
She is able to practice and even prescribe medicine.
For advancement in nursing knowledge with increasing technology and knowledge
about diseases and drugs it is necessary for nurses to up-date their knowledge so a number
of courses emerging for new nursing specialties.
10.Increased opportunities for higher studies
Previously in nursing there were only diploma courses available to prepare nurses to
provide patient care. There was lack of independence in nursing care.
With advanced technology and emerging knowledge and opportunities nursing has
developed as other profession. A number of courses started in nursing from basic degree that
is B.Sc. nursing to M.Sc. nursing, M.Phil. In nursing, Ph.D. nursing and P.C. B.Sc. for
diploma students to continue higher studies.
The in-service education and distance education available in nursing provide an
opportunities for eligible candidates to pursue higher education easily without much time
lay.
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The nurse of todays world is only not limited to patient care only but extend to
practice and research also.
11.Diminishing government role
Shortage of funds couple certain policy decisions have prevented the government
from investing further. In the field of nursing education.
Now, the private sectors are playing a dominant role for the development of nursing
education.
It is required to produce a greater number of nurses to fulfill the increasing demands
of nurses for health care department. But government is unable to invest that much funds for
nursing education. So that the new government policies decided to encourage the private
organization to invest for nursing education and allow them to run private nursing institutes.
At present India is having number of private nursing institute more than government
institutes that are running as per INC criteria and producing a greater number of efficient
nurses.
Current status of nursing in India
Basic courses
1. Auxiliary nurse midwives/multipurpose health workers (one and half year
programme)
After independence and with advent of the governments scheme for rural health serves
under the community development project a need was felt to have a category of nursing
professional who would give simple nursing care in addition to modifying services in
the rural areas.
Subsequently INC formulate curriculum for their courses to provide simple nursing
care addition to modifying services.
2. Diploma in General nursing and modifying (3 years program GNM)

 Diploma nursing schools were the first type of educational programme leading to
registration as a R.N.
It requires 3 years of study and successfully completing awarded by diploma in nursing
education.
3. Baccalaureate degree in nursing education
The graduate nursing degree in India in the year 1946.
Started in CMC and RAK College of nursing New Delhi. The degree is a bachelor of
science in nursing.
4. Master degree nursing programme
This program was started by RAK College of nursing, New Delhi in 1959. This
programme is for 2 year for regular candidate.
5. M. Phil degree nursing programme
This program was started by RAK College of nursing, New Delhi in 1986. This
programme is for 1 year for regular candidate and 2 year for part time candidate.
The admission capacity is a student for regular and part time is differ.
6. Ph.D. programme
Ph.D.programme started in 1992 in RAK college of nursing currently there are more
school offering nursing scientists doctoral program.

7. Nursing education abroad

Graduate may go for higher education developed countries such as USA, UK provide
opportunity for nurses from foreign campus to continue their nursing education.

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8. Post certificate courses

Promotional teaching programme of six month duration experience ANMs.
Courses (e.g.) Hospital administration, ward administration.
Nursing education future trends
1. Future nursing programme will need to be flexible to meet learning need to changing
students population.
2. A shortage of qualified nursing faculty.
3. Educational mobilization programme and articulation programme should be organized.
4. Technologies and education the nurse education have to adopt various new
technologies in teaching situations.

Conclusion
As a health professional it is important for us to know that what are the changes
taking place in the field of nursing currently. It helps to enhance ones knowledge related to
nursing.

Summary
So far we have discussed about introduction, definition, aims, of nursing education,
purpose of nursing education, evaluation of nursing education in world, evaluation nursing
in India. Trends in nursing education, current status of nursing in India and nursing
education future trend.

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Bibliography
1. Sankaranarayanan B. (1999), Learning and teaching nursing, 2 nd edition, Brainfill
company, Calicut, Pp. 8 20.
2. Neeraja K.P. (2003), Text book of nursing education, 1st edition, Jaypee Publication,
Bangalore, Pp. 11 20.
3. Basavanthappa, B.T. (2003), Nursing education, 1st edition, Jaypee publication,
Bangalore, Pp. 69.
4. TNAI (1999), History and trends in nursing in India1st edition, Dhaulta publishers,
New Delhi, Pp. 148 149.

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