Postgraduate education in nursing: a case study

This paper describes the integrated postgraduate programmed recently introduced by the University of Ulster which includes the first Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc) programme in Europe. It has three exist points: with a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing or Midwifery, a Master of Science in Advanced Nursing or Midwifery or the DNSc. It aims to develop nurses who have the necessary knowledge and skills to function as advanced practitioners and, concurrently, to prepare nurses able to undertake high quality research which will contribute to the knowledge and theoretical base of nursing. Some of the issues which influenced the planning are discussed and demographic characteristics, expectations of the course, and comments of the first two cohorts of students are presented. Anticipated benefits for nursing knowledge and practice as well as potential difficulties with such a programmed are identified.