Vol. 500 No. 2
157 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has satisfied himself with the operation of the university based diploma in nursing; the concerns, if any, he has in relation to the recruitment process and the exclusion of many applicants on academic grounds who have an excellent vocational aptitude for nursing; and the changes, if any, he will introduce in this regard. [3754/99]
In previous years the recruitment and selection processes for places on both the general nursing and psychiatric nursing registration-diploma programmes was administered by the nursing appli cations centre. An Bord Altranais has assumed responsibility for the overall management of the nursing applications centre from this year onwards and has renamed it the nursing careers centre in order to give it a broader focus in relation to nursing as a career generally. This transfer of responsibility is in accordance with the strengthened role of An Bord Altranais in the area of pre-registration nursing education and training recommended by the Commission on Nursing .
As part of the preparations for this year's competitions, An Bord Altranais, with my approval, amended its own rules to revise the minimum educational requirements for entry to nursing training. Broadly speaking, the requirements have been brought into line with those of the third level institutions. The effect of this rule change is to expand the range of leaving certificate subjects that may be presented by an applicant for admission to the nursing diploma programmes. In particular, it removes the requirement for a foreign language in the case of the non-NUI third level institutions involved in the operation of the programmes. A decision was subsequently taken by the NUI to drop the requirement for a foreign language for entry to the programmes. These changes will introduce greater flexibility in the entry criteria for nursing training, without reducing standards, and will increase the pool of school leavers and others who will be eligible for places on the nursing diploma programmes.
I am hopeful that the changes which I have outlined, together with the national and local recruitment campaigns which I have funded, will result in a successful outcome to the competitions and a full uptake of all the available training places on the 1999 nursing diploma programmes.
The Commission on Nursing has recommended the establishment of a representative nursing education forum to prepare a strategy for moving pre-registration nursing from the present three year programme to a four year degree programme in time for the intake of nursing students in the year 2002. I have established this forum, which is chaired by Dr. Laraine Joyce, the deputy director of the office for health management. Its membership includes representatives of schools of nursing, third level institutions, health service providers, An Bord Altranais and relevant government departments. The forum is holding its first meeting today and it is expected to complete its work and report by the end of next year.
