Positioning public nursing colleges in South African higher education: Stakeholders' perspectives.

BACKGROUND:  Public nursing colleges (PNCs) are currently redeploying from provincial departments of health to higher education to become part of a unified higher education system in South Africa. As primary producers of nurses, this migration process needs to be managed carefully, with stakeholders having a common understanding of this process. OBJECTIVES:  This study aimed to explore the stakeholders' perspectives on the positioning of PNCs in higher education. METHOD:  The study followed a qualitative grounded theory design. Purposive and theoretical sampling were utilised to achieve a sample size of 40 participants, including representatives from the Department of Higher Education and Training; professional associates; nursing educators; student leaders; nursing leaders; and nurses from the healthcare setting. Data were collected through observations, interviews and document analysis. RESULTS:  It emerged from the study that the integration of PNCs into higher education is a result of the country's political and legal context. A number of policy and legal frameworks emerged as contextual conditions that provided a basis for the change. The integration of PNCs into higher education was conceptualised as a functional shift in the governance of colleges; a political tool to transform nursing education; a means to enhance the quality of college-based nursing programmes, and a vehicle for the greater professionalisation of nursing. Conflicting legislation and funding emerged as two issues of concern. CONCLUSION:  Integrating PNCs with higher education came about because of political changes and the resolution of the ruling party to improve the quality of graduates produced, who will in turn improve the quality of healthcare service delivery offered.

As instituiçöes formadoras e a identidade profissional da enfermagem: mimetismo ou metamorfose? / Forming institutions and the identity nursing professionals

O objeto do presente estudo consiste nos papéis exercidos pelas instituições formadoras de profissionais de enfermagem, pelo mercado de trabalho e pelas entidades de classe da enfermagem no processo de profissionalização e de construção de sua identidade profissional.Este estudo tem por objetivo reescrevero processo de construção da identidade profissional da enfermagem a partir das discussões travadas pelos profissionais, nas instituições formadoras, acerca de sua especialização, `a luz dos fatos sócio-históricos que desencadearam, ao longo do tempo, a passagem de uma enfermagem generalista para outra especialista. O trabalho discute o processo de profissionalização da enfermagem nas instituições formadoras tendo como pano de fundo as idéias clássicas da sociologia das profissões

Characteristics of nursing doctoral programs in the United States.

The expansive growth of doctoral programs in the United States has necessitated a need to determine demographic attributes of the academic program, characteristics of the students, admission criteria, and curriculum patterns. Seventy-eight doctoral programs were sent a researcher-designed survey and 48 (62 per cent) responded. Results show an increasing shift away from clinical doctorates to the research doctorate, although few differences exist within the research focus of doctoral nursing programs. Consistent with previous reports in the literature, curricula are fairly standard and few differences were noted based on a number of criteria including geographic location, type of degree granted, Carnegie classification of the university, or by the length of time the program has been in existence. Discussion of these findings is included.