The fourth paradigm: a new model of leadership for managing nurse education

Over 20 years ago Toffler suggested that 'tomorrow's individual will have to cope with even more hectic change than we do today' and that for education the lesson is clear, 'its prime objective must be to increase the individuals 'copeability'--the speed and economy with which he/she can adapt to continual change and the faster the rate of change, the more attention must be devoted to discerning the pattern of future events' (Toffler 1970). Knowledge and understanding about what produces change in education is often unclear, however, many theories exist to account for change, which has been described as 'the most recalcitrant subject in the social sciences' (Clark 1983). This work considers change and process and includes types of change, the process and management of change, and models of organization. The integration of colleges of nursing into higher education and university departments is then discussed before the article concludes, by putting forward a new model of leadership for nurse education--the fourth paradigm.