The personal tutor's role in pre-registration nursing education

Providing support for students has always been an inherent part of the lecturer's role. Widening access to students from backgrounds not traditionally associated with higher education has necessitated a review of the personal tutor system, as potential students may not be equipped with the academic skills to meet the demands of higher education. Ten randomly selected lecturers in one institute of higher education were interviewed to elicit their views and experiences of the personal tutor's role. The findings showed that the role of the personal tutor was considered both demanding, as students have increasingly different needs, but also fulfilling. The provision of pastoral care was viewed as integral to the role of the personal tutor, although most lecturers reported that they adopted an all-encompassing model of support that ranged from providing academic, professional, psychological and financial advice. Time factors and workload were identified as important structural constraints.