Issues surrounding educational preparation for intensive care nursing in the 21st century

Major changes in intensive care provision, nursing and nurse education over the last ten years mean that it is a crucial time to take a look at the effectiveness of the post-registration intensive care nursing course [ENB 100]. This article examines whether nurse education is able to meet the current and future challenges. A call for more research regarding the effects of nurse education courses on participants’ clinical practice is advocated. Key factors examined include teaching and learning strategies, the identification of common threshold core and specific competencies, and the assessment of practice. Post-registration assessment of practice within the writers’ own educational institution is evaluated. Valid and reliable assessment which differentiates between the level of skills attainment of students and identifies the stage of development of the nurse (Benner 1984) is recommended. The question of who benefits from the current provision of ENB 100 courses is considered. It is argued that clinical and educational staff should work together to ensure nurses who undertake ENB 100 courses emerge ‘fit for purpose’ (DoH 1997a).