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Similarities with other health care academics
- Val Thurtle (20 March 2002)
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Val Thurtle, Senior Lecturer Community Health Care South Bank University
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Dear Sir, Many of the issues in academic medicine, 1,2, are mirrored in nursing and the preparation of health care professionals generally. We are encouraged to educated more health visitors, school nurses, mental health nurses and district nurses and indeed this is our desire. Yet experienced practitioners may think twice before entering the academic arena. Clinical Governance and Evidence based Medicine have further valued the research yet funded training is hard to come by and higher degrees are often part funded and undertaken part time. The development of nurse consultant posts and emerging management roles in the Primary Care Trusts have provided other routes in career development, often reaping higher financial rewards and not offering any longer a working week. Many of the community health care pathways have an aging workforce, necessitating the education of new practitioners, as a high proportion of health visitors, school nurses and district nurses approach retirement within the next five years. The teaching staff in these areas often reflect the tilted age profile and they will need to be replaced. Educating mature, committed learners who bring with them nurse registration and frequently years of relevant experience is exciting; and contributing to the body of knowledge by active research is challenging. To sustain health care academics of all disciplines, they, and the work they undertake needs to be encouraged and valued. Yours sincerely Val Thurtle Senior Lecturer Community Health Care
1. Stewart Paul M. Academic medicine: a faltering engine BMJ 2002;324:437-8 2. MacDonald Rhona. Survey shows serious shortage of medical academics in the UK. BMJ 2002;324:466 |
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