Facing the future: credibility in a changing world

As many rapidly changing and often conflicting influences come to bear on nurse education, and as nurse education strengthens links with higher education or integrates with this sector, nurse teachers need to reflect on their future role in terms of credibility. Four dimensions of credibility are suggested: teaching, knowledge, clinical and academic credibility. In considering these dimensions and the nature of future curricula, proposals for the future role are presented. It is suggested that the nurse teacher of the future must not only be a competent teacher, but a competent teacher of theory and practice. This implies not only teaching, but knowledge and clinical credibility. Academic credibility will be required by those who purchase nurse education and who will expect it to be at higher education level. It is concluded that the achievement of credibility across these four dimensions requires a degree of specialisation and that those who manage education must institute frameworks and practices to facilitate nurse teachers in their future role.