The perceptions of students and teachers regarding the introductory module of an enrolled nurse conversion course

This study sets out to explore the perceptions of students' and their teachers' regarding the Introductory Module of a course to convert Enrolled Nurses to Registered General Nurses. The course has been developed as a joint venture with two local Schools of Nursing as an experiment in joint course management. An illuminative evaluation approach has been adopted utilising the techniques of observation, questionnaires and interviews, in order to provide information by a variety of means upon which the course management team can base their future decisions regarding the course. The findings suggest that the introductory module was perceived by the students and teachers as a valuable learning experience. Issues specific to the course which were highlighted included the need for the involvement of the course teachers from each School of Nursing in the teaching programme, the introduction of negotiated student learning, a joint approach to the assessment of theory and practice and a modification of the maternity and community care experience. General issues related to the students as mature learners included the need for pre-course preparation for the students, the assessment of individual learning needs, the inclusion in the content of essay writing skills and stress management and the need for a comprehensive staff development programme for the teaching staff. The study highlighted the need for evaluation of nurse education programmes and teaching methods in order to provide professional accountability and to ensure nurse education practice is research-based.