Is there a case for tailoring graduate programs for nurses who have previously practiced as Enrolled Nurses?

SummaryThe nursing workforce in Australia, the UK and New Zealand has traditionally comprised two levels of nurse – the Registered Nurse (RN) and the Enrolled Nurse (EN). There is a significant difference in the role and scope of practice between the two levels. This difference is clearly reflected in the education required which, in Australia, is delivered the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector for ENs and in the tertiary education sector for RNs. In an attempt to redress worldwide shortage of RNs, conversion programs have been developed for ENs to upgrade to the RN qualification. In Australia a variety of such courses are on offer, yet these are not without their critics. There have been issues identified as to the appropriateness of credit awarded by universities for recognised prior learning as well as concerns raised regarding the difficult transfer of knowledge between the VET sector and the tertiary education system. This paper presents a review of published research exploring the development and implementation of EN conversion programs. While ENs have been identified as having ‘specific’ needs during their first year as Registered Nurses these ‘specific’ needs have not been articulated. Moreover, there is no evidence to suggest health care organisations address these needs in graduate programs. This paper therefore has highlighted a need to identify what the ‘specific’ needs are and then to develop a graduate program tailored specifically for the RN graduate who previously practiced as an EN.