on 4/10/06 11:03 am, Palfreyman Pam at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> I have also watched this debate with interest, and support what Helen is
> saying.
>
> I have just become a practise supervisor for an OH student at Southbank (who
> is also one of my full time OH advisors) I attended the university 2 day
> supervisors induction last week and was concerned about the new
> BSc(Hons)course. For those that don't know the course is now a public health
> specialist degree and has students form OH, Health visiting, school nursing
> and public Health. There are probably "pro's" as well as "cons" to this new
> course but at the time I could only see "Cons".
>
> 1) The course is very NHS focused, talk of Trusts, PCT's and banding. (The
> course director is a health visitor, although Anne still has the OH lead)
>
> 2) all other students are NHS staff, with the exception of the OH students
>
> 3) All other students are full time and supernumerary, and it my
> understanding that this is what the NMC are also working towards for
> the OH students (could be interesting, not sure how many companies would be
> happy to fund an OH advisor who is supernumerary!)
>
> 4) another issue was that most of the supervisors from the other disciplines
> had their Practice Teacher qualification. At the moment the NMC are happy to
> accept experienced supervisors for OH but again there was an inference that
> this might change at some point. (Then there will be the issue of funding
> for practice teacher qualifications!!) During a discussion between the
> supervisors one Health visitor felt "a PG dip in teaching wasn't enough, we
> all really needed to have the PTC" (obviously that was her personal opinion
> but it set up the backs of the OH supervisors, some who already had a formal
> teaching qualification.)
>
> It isn't only Southbank who are running this course, this appears to be the
> course that is now being validated.(I also have an advisor doing a similar
> courses at Leeds Met.)
> I personally feel this is a backwards step for OH, My degree course a
> Southbank was excellent, it was OH focused and designed for students who
> were also working full time. I was already in OH and had been for sometime
> and it helped to underpin my practice.
> I have already raised my concerns verbally with Anne Harriss and the
> Southbank team but I thought it might add to the debate because clearly it
> will have implications for OH education in the future. I am not sure how
> accessible the OH course of the future will be for OH nurses working in the
> private sector (or the NHS for that matter)
>
> Pam
>
>
>
>
Hello Pam
The LSBU course was changed to meet the requirements of both the NMC and the
senior management of our university.
I hope that in delivery our BSc (Hons) SCPHN course will not be NHS focused
as that would go against everything I and my OHN colleagues believe in as
most OHNs are employed outside the NHS. The proof of the pudding will be in
the eating.
Compliance with NMC and University requirements are not easy. I believe that
one university is considering not seeking NMC validation for a future OH
course due to these difficulties. Perhaps more will choose to follow suit.
I would urge those practitioners who hold strong views re the future of OH
education take those to the NMC, concerns re specific courses should be
directed to the course directors of OH courses. The LSBU BSc (Hons) SCPHN
(OHN) course is a discreet entity (course) within a programme which is
managed by a HV. The reason it is managed in that way is extremely complex
and relates to the time when it was envisaged that only HVs would get SCPHN
status, OHNs were not part of the equation at that point. I am the point of
contact re the course at London South Bank University but not any other
programme.
Best wishes
Anne
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