Newly qualified Project 2000 staff nurses in Scottish nursing homes: issues for education

The contribution of nursing homes to nurse education in the UK is growing. This article presents educational issues raised by nine senior Nurse Managers from nursing homes in one Scottish health board. The Managers were interviewed as part of a larger Scottish study of employers' views of the skills of newly qualified Project 2000 staff nurses. Perceptions of the adequacy of the skills of newly qualified diplomates in first staff nurse posts in nursing homes following registration were explored. Impressions were mixed but generally favourable. The perceived strengths - confidence, knowledge and a questioning approach, and perceived limitations - in practical and organisational skills, matched closely those of senior Nurse Managers in the NHS sector. Managers noted the significance for learning of the business and customer care ethos of nursing home care and of the exacting skill requirements of specialist and increasingly acute care demands within this sector. There was uncertainty about and concern to strengthen preceptorship support. Matters for debate include the adequacy of telephone support versus in person on-site support for newly qualified nurses, whether expectations of initial performance are realistic and whether skill requirements differ between independent and NHS sectors. The potential value of NHS and independent health care inter-sectoral dialogue and networking is suggested.