Pentium
| Published date | 01 December 1996 |
| Date | 01 December 1996 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455059604300407 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
214
pentium
Meeting
on
the
Concourse
A
presentation
at
a
recent
conference
on
applied
Information
Technology
provided
an
intriguing
glimpse
of
the
potential
for
change
in
probation
training.
The
Concourse
Project,
developed
at
the
University
of
Hertfordshire,
was
described
as
’an
electronic
meeting
place
between
nurse
education
and
clinical
practice’,
developed
to
meet
changing
needs
within
the
nurse
education
’revolution’,
itself
the
result
of
reorganisation
and
growing
demands
within
the
health
care
system.
Radical
Change
The
global
infrastructure
of
health
care
within
the
United
Kingdom
has
recently
undergone
radical
change
as
a
result
of
political,
economic,
social
and
technological
trends.
In
an
effort
to
control
public
expenditure,
various
strategies
have
been
employed
to
ration
or
prioritise
treatment
to
establish
a
cost
effective
health
care
system.
Consequently,
this
has
increased
the
pressure
for
clinical
research,
technological
developments
and
information
management
strategies
to
administer
efficient
patient
care.
The
nurse
practitioner
is
currently
adapting
to
deal
with
these
new
challenges
and
demands
and,
in
turn,
nurse
education
is
acting
speedily
and
creatively
to
prepare
the
nurse
practitioners
to
be
proactive
in their
contribution
to
health
care
in
the
constantly
changing
environment.
The
most
dramatic
reform
is
Project
2000,
a
strategy
instigated
by
the
United
Kingdom
Central
Council
which
reshaped
the
education
of
nursing.
Nurse
education
has
moved
from
an
apprenticeship
approach
based
on
in-
service
training
into
a
higher
education
programme.
Students
receive
supernumerary
status
during
clinical
placements
and
are
awarded
a
Diploma
in
Higher
Education,
although
they
are
still
required
to
obtain
registration
through
the
UKCC
to
practice
as
registered
nurses.
Concourse
is
an
electronic
distance
leaning
environment
which
responds
to
the
learning
needs
of
student
nurses
in
clinical
placements.
The
unique
feature
of
this
innovative
project
is
its
comprehensive
and
purpose-led
approach
to
learning.
It
is
user-friendly
and
easily
configurable
for
use
within
any
discipline
involving
placements
or
distance
learning.
It
acts
as
a
meeting
place
where
students,
tutors
and
practitioners
can
interact
for
the
purpose
of
teaching
learning,
research
and
discussion.
This
project
has
evolved
from
within
a
nurse
education
revolution,
which
is
itself
the
result
of
the
reorganisation
and
the
growing
demands
of
the
health
care
system.
It
is
a
two
year
project
which
commenced
in
May
1995
and
will
be
completed
in
May
1997,
following
an
intensive
evaluation.
The
main
objectives
of
Concourse
are:
0
Provide
a
selection
of
distance
learning
multimedia
interactive
packages,
specifically
designed
for
the
local
learning
needs
of
the
student
nurses.
0
Establish
relationships
between
the
variety
of
disciplines
within
health
care,
together
with
the
University,
by
promoting
effective
communication
through
the
use
of
IT.
0
Demonstrate
the
use
of
technology
applied
to
nursing
to
enhance
nurse
education
and
practice.
0
Provide
a
medium
for
the
sharing
of
information
between
hospitals,
clinics
and
other
universities,
both
nationally
and
internationally.
0
Improve
the
quality
of
nursing
care
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