A new approach to critical care education

This article describes the development of a new degree programme in critical care nursing. The underlying principle, berzhind the degree, is that there are more similarities between the various 'critical care' areas than there are differences. Thus, the skills and knowledge base also share similarities. The focus of this programme is on educating nurses for practice within critical care as a whole - producing a practitioner who is able to nurse throughout the spectrum of critical care. The concept of a generic critical care nurse is fundamental to the philosophy of the programme, which has evolved from discussion exploring the provision of critical care required for the 21st century, and the nature of nursing that will be required to provide this service.