Nurse education in the 1990s--the implementation of the pre-registration Diploma course (Project 2000)

This paper reports on a four-year longitudinal study of the implementation of Project 2000. Interviews were conducted with a variety of staff involved in the changes, as well as with a sample of students who were seen at several points during the course and once after completion. The rationale for adopting a qualitative methodology is explored and the strengths of this approach for gaining an understanding of such a complex series of changes are outlined. Some of the findings pertaining to the introduction of the Diploma course are presented and some points for consideration as courses are reviewed and developed are included.