The educational and practice tensions in preparing pre-registration nurses to become future health promoters: A small scale explorative study

SummaryOver the past three decades health policy within the United Kingdom (UK) has consistently acknowledged the potential for nurses to contribute to the health of individuals and communities. The educational curricular of pre and post registration nursing programmes has responded to such health policies by placing greater emphasis on the role of the nurse in health promotion and ill health prevention.AimThis paper explores how pre-registration student nurses in one university experience the impact of these factors on their preparation for practice.DesignThis small scale explorative study used a convenience sample of second year pre-registration student nurses (n = 100) studying at one university. Data were collected via four focus groups, and from student evaluations of practice placement experiences and self-reported learning outcomes relating to health promotion practice.FindingsThe findings suggest a dichotomy between what is espoused in the underpinning theory of the curriculum and what the student nurses actually experience in practice. It highlights some of the difficulties that student nurses have in effecting the professional and policy objectives and argues if nurses are to turn health promotion rhetoric into reality then health promotion practice needs to be more effectively actualised.