Val Thurtle

Current educational challenges for specialist community public health nurses following a health-visiting pathway and the consequences of these challenges for public health:

The UK Standing Conference on Specialist Community Public Health Nurse Education represents the interests of those most intimately involved with specialist community public health nurse (health visitor) (SCPHN (HV)) education in higher education institutions across the UK. This paper summarizes issues currently affecting the education of SCPHN (HV)s and the delivery of health visiting and public health nursing services across the UK. Difficulties in recruitment, numbers of practice teachers and tensions created by the gap between expected and actual practice roles for health visitors are discussed. This discussion takes place in the context of the Programme of Action on Health Visiting, which was launched in 2009 by the Department of Health in England. Recommendations for action by HEIs are made in response to the difficulties identified in particular. Although this paper applies to all the UK SCPHN education programmes the majority of these are in England, which has resulted in a focus being placed on challenges in England.

The experience of students in a gender minority on courses at a college of higher and further education

Abstract This paper reports on a study exploring the experience of students in a gender minority on programmes in a mixed economy college, identifying parallels between the male and female minority experience. A qualitative methodology was used interviewing males on programmes concerned with children under 8 years old and females on motor Vehicle Engineering programmes. Students reported that classroom practice was generally satisfactory, but there were some difficulties in workshops and with practical experience. Students did not identify gender as a significant issue, but highlighted intimidatory behaviour and gender stereotypes as barriers preventing full participation in the classroom. Same gender tutors were not seen as significant, but educational strategies to develop increased integration and contact between all students might be beneficial.

Post-registration report lacks clear recommendations

As health visitor lecturers who contributed to the Department of Healths consultation Towards a Framework for Post-registration Nursing Careers, we looked forward to the report published in July.

Keeping kids healthy: a school nursing strategy

School nurses have welcomed the document, School Nursing within the Public Health Agenda: A Strategy for Practice (DeBell and Jackson 2000) as a forward-thinking and relevant piece of work. The result of a stock-taking of school nursing across the country, it aimed to explore current issues of delivering a service to meet the needs of the school-aged population, reach a consensus on a strategy for the delivery of school health services and formulate a work plan in line with current government policy.