Guest Editorial
Speaking out for nursing in the higher education sector: The Australian Council of Deans of Nursing
Lynette R Russell
Faculty of Nursing, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW
PP: 099 - 101
Article Text
The Australian Council of Deans of Nursing was formed at a meeting held at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in February, 1993. The organization replaced the Senior Nurse Academic Network coordinated by the Royal College of Nursing, Australia. The membership of this Council includes representation from all Faculties, Schools or Departments which offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in nursing across Australia. These representatives are the Deans or Heads of such Faculties, Schools or Departments and thus the Australian Council of Deans of Nursing is aiming to become the peak organization of senior nurse academics in Australia. Similar organizations of Deans are also in place for other major discipline groups within the higher education sector, such as Health Sciences and Dentistry.
The Australian Council of Deans of Nursing was established to provide a means through which matters of national importance to the development of the discipline of nursing within the higher education sector could be addressed. It was seen as essential that a formal body be established to provide a forum at which the concerns of senior nurse academics about issues which will affect the development of nursing within the higher education sector could be discussed.
These concerns include, for example, policy on nurse education; resource allocation for nurse education; nursing and health care research; national policies and strategies for the health care sector; and any other issues which may have relevance to the discipline of nursing within this sector in either the short or long term. The Council has been very active in this, the first year since it was established, in a number of ways.
Following its formation a short information sheet containing information about the Council was mailed to a wide range of potentially interested parties, including state and federal governments, nursing organizations, and other health and educational institutions. This information sheet encouraged people to seek the involvement of, and input from, the newly formed Council on issues of interest or concern to that Council. The Council has worked hard to develop a number of position papers on issues of crucial concern to nursing within the higher education sector. The first of these was a paper on the 'Funding of Pre-Registration, Undergraduate Nursing Programs in the Higher Education Sector' in which the difficulties with the current funding of such programs and the effect these are having on, for example the clinical component of such programs, are explored.
Other major position papers will soon be completed including one on 'Generic Courses for Health Workers' and another on 'Postgraduate Nurse Education within the Higher Education Sector'. In these papers the position of the Australian Council of Deans of Nursing on the particular issues is clearly expressed so that the papers can then be either circulated, or provided on request, to potentially interested bodies. The Council has also met with people from the health and education sector of government including representatives from the Department of Human Services and Health, Ministry of Health and the Department of Employment, Education and Training, Ministry of Education in Canberra and the equivalent of the Senior Nurse Advisers from the department of health from each state and territory.
Such meetings are proving to be very valuable in establishing productive communication between these groups and the Council of Deans and of providing a forum in which issues of relevance to nurse education in the higher education sector can be discussed. At one of these meetings, for example, members from the Department of Employment, Education and Training attended a number of special sessions conducted by the School of Nursing, University of Canberra, at the request of the Council, to illustrate the many issues surrounding the clinical component of the undergraduate nursing programs.
These sessions included, for example, these representatives observing a normal clinical laboratory session held by the School of Nursing for undergraduate students as well as sessions on how the clinical component of these courses are organized including how the placement of students in the health care sector throughout these courses is arranged and supervised. The Council has also found the meetings with the equivalent of the Chief Nurse Advisers from each state and territory department of Health of such value that these meetings are now held on a regular and ongoing basis.
Since the formation of the Australian Council of Deans of Nursing we have been fortunate to be asked to participate as a member of the steering committee or advisory group for two important reviews, 'A Review of Funding of Clinical Training in the Health Professions' and 'The National Review of Nurse Education in the Higher Education Sector-1994 and Beyond'. Both of these reviews have been sponsored, jointly, by the Commonwealth Ministers for Health and for Employment, Education and Training through the Department of Human Services and Health and the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and have the support of the state Ministers for Health. These two reviews have the potential to have a major impact on nurse education within the higher education sector and the Council's involvement in their deliberations is seen as vital.
The Council has also been active in preparing submissions to, for example, 'The National Review of Nurse Education...' referred to above and to the 'External Review of the National Health and Medical Research Council', to give just two examples, in order to put forward the Council's views on matters which affect the nursing discipline within the higher education sector including issues to do with the education of nurses and the access of nurses, both within the academic and clinical setting, to research funding. It has also responded to requests for comments on position papers on a wide range of issues from organizations such as the Australian Nursing Council Incorporated and the Australian Nursing Federation. The Council has also commenced collecting data about nurse academic and nurse education provisions within the higher education sector. The Council is currently discussing the possibilities of developing links with other, similar, overseas organizations.
At the last meeting of the Council we were fortunate to have, as a guest speaker, Professor Eleanor Sullivan, a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, who described to the Council the activities of this organization. She indicated that the organization would welcome approaches for the Australian Council of Deans of Nursing to develop a formal link and that she would facilitate the exchange of information between these two organizations. The Council holds regular 1-2 day seminars throughout the year, with the Executive of the Council meeting more frequently, to discuss issues of concern. At the next meeting of the Council, scheduled to be held in Canberra in September, 1994 the Council will be initiating a meeting of Professors and Associate Professors of Nursing with the view to encouraging the establishment of a national nursing professorial group.
The purpose of this group would be to encourage scholarly debate and to provide directions for scholarly development for nursing in Australia. At this first meeting Professor Judy Parker, Professor Jocalyn Lawler and Professor Irena Madjar will present a seminar on 'Exploring dimensions for the body and embodiment: a scholarly debate'. The Australian Council of Deans of Nursing is also working hard to establish effective liaison with other nursing organizations, relevant organizations within the higher education sector, and with the health care sector.
The Council has established a series of contact people in each state/territory of Australia to facilitate contact between the Council and these groups. The Executive of the Council is Professor R L Russell, University of Sydney (Chairperson); Professor M Bennett, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Deputy Chairperson); Associate Professor J James, University of Canberra (Deputy Chairperson and Secretary); Associate Professor Robin Watts, Curtin University of Technology (Treasurer); Professor J Pincombe, University of South Australia (Member); Associate Professor Pierre Baume, Griffith University-Gold Coast Campus (Member), and Professor D Angell, Monash University (Member). The Council would be happy to be contacted by any person or organization as required.
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