Facilitating successful transition: pre-registration adult nursing programmes

Abstract

The National Health Service Executive (1998) has promoted the secondment of healthcare assistants (HCAs) onto pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes. Local evidence suggested some secondees were successful in practice but struggled academically. An audit was undertaken to investigate whether there was a relationship between seconded students' entry qualifications, their overall secondment interview score and academic success. Academic success within this audit was defined as passing all assignments at the first attempt. The current criteria for secondment were audited against year 1 programme outcomes, and the results demonstrated that particular packages of entry qualifications could indicate academic success. The criteria for selection were subsequently reviewed and amended.