Education for a new role: a review of neonatal nurse practitioner programmes

A comparison was made of the different educational programmes developed to train Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (ENB A19) in the UK. The structure and character of the programmes were examined in relation to course aims and philosophies, learning outcomes, content, teaching strategies and methods of assessment. Documentation provided by course leaders included hand-books, timetables, teaching staff details and documents concerning supervision and assessment. When viewed closely there are differences between the programmes that are evident in design and curriculum content and which present a quality assurance issue to the institutions validating and running these programmes. The issue of parity and standards is also a critical one for those supporting the development regionally and nationally. Viewed within the broader perspective of post-registration nurse education, these relatively new programmes could be regarded as experiments in which professionals, as teachers and learners, are trying to address the changing boundaries of expertise and professional identities. It is suggested that the nurse practitioner programmes developed for neonatal care could provide a model for similar programmes in other specialties and argued that the experience gained in planning and running these courses could contribute positively to the development of other comparable educational programmes for established and experienced nurses.