Vol. 448 No. 2
17 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health, arising from one of the main recommendations relating to nurse training, his views on the establishment of a comprehensive national framework by An Bord Altranais for links between colleges of nursing and midwifery; higher education institutions for the purpose of accreditation of courses. [1177/95]
46 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health his views on the establishment by An Bord Altranais of a National Curriculum Development Unit to monitor and advise on aspects of nurse training; and if he intends that there will be greater liaison between third level institutions and An Bord Altranais in establishing such curriculum development. [1178/95]
48 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health the role, if any, the present health boards could play in terms of the funding of nurse training; and if he would envisage nurse training for full degree courses being treated in the same manner for grant purposes as other degree courses. [1101/95]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 46 and 48 together. The present system of nurse education and training is a three year apprenticeship type programme involving 40 weeks of classroom-based theoretical instruction together with rostered clinical placements during which students contribute significantly to ward staffing in the training hospitals. Funding for student salaries, tutor salaries and other associated costs is included in the annual allocation to health boards and public voluntary hospitals which operate schools of nursing. The whole area of nurse education and training has been under consideration for some time culminating in the publication by An Bord Altranais of its review document last summer and the commencement of a pilot programme involving the Western Health Board and University College Galway in October 1994 which largely addresses the recommendations made by An Bord Altranais in regard to pre-registration education and training.
The pilot programme in general nurse training in Galway differs from the traditional nurse training model in a number of important respects. It is based on full students status on a supernumerary basis except for a short period of rostered service in the third year of the programme. It provides for academic accreditation at diploma level at the point of registration and involves a formal link with UCG. An annual grant of £2,500 is being paid by the Western Health Board to participants in the pilot programme.
A steering group has been established to monitor the progress of the pilot programme and any modifications deemed necessary will be made. It is envisaged that this model of training will provide the basis for future developments in pre-registration education and training and the pace of progress will depend on the availability of funding for this purpose as determined in the context of the annual Health Estimate. Decisions in relation to the extension of the model to other sites and disciplines will be taken in consultation with the Department of Education and the Higher Education Authority among others. The precise arrangements which will apply in future years to the payment of a grant in respect of the diploma programme will also be the subject of consultation with the relevant interests but I am not aware of any reason to change the arrangements currently being piloted in Galway.
