New skills required of nurse tutors in the UK: a study within two Project 2000 pilot schemes for pre-registration nursing courses

This paper examines the development of new skills required of nurse tutors as nursing schools integrate with institutions of higher education. The findings form part of a larger study, describing significant changes in the role of nurse tutors in the UK, in two demonstration Project 2000 districts. A case study approach was adapted for the study. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected over a 15-month period from a diversity of perspectives. The focus was on nurse teachers themselves. The results indicated that as nursing entered into the arena of higher education, a majority of nurse tutors would need to develop and deploy effective skills in facilitating learning, clinical supervision and communication. The findings also showed that a significant number of nurse tutors would need to acquire new skills in curriculum innovation, continuous assessment of theory and practice, marketing, negotiation, entrepreneurial work, research and clinical audits.