Care to be a nurse? Reflections on a radio broadcast and its ramifications for nursing today.

Nursing education in the UK has lagged behind most of the developed world since inception of Project 2000 because in England, a diploma has been accepted as the basis for education, unlike other countries (including Scotland and Wales) a degree has been the accepted standard for many years. While Australia's nursing education has been more protected, an anti-intellectualism is creeping in with a technical college now offering a nursing degree, and some universities lowering their admission standards for nursing courses. Changes in the UK being imposed through the influence of the global financial crisis threaten nursing even further and this is not helped by short sighted media reports of problems with nursing care in the National Health Service.

It's not cricket: the ashes of nursing education.

The aim of this short discussion paper is to engender debate about the downturn in intellectual standing of nursing courses in Australia, where entry standards to nursing courses, and pass marks are being lowered to cater to the needs of health services for pairs of hands. We give examples of indicators of declining standards and reference them to the state of nursing education in the United Kingdom. We hope for debate and argument, and critical discussion, that might lead to a reassessment of nursing education in both countries.

Evaluating a Web-enhanced bachelor of nursing curriculum: perspectives of third-year students.

Little is known about nursing students' information literacy skills and perceptions of Web-enhanced educational approaches. This study examined graduating Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students' perceptions of a Web-enhanced learning environment, their computer literacy skills, and use of technology, and how these influenced their satisfaction. This Australian survey produced a 64% (n = 170) response rate.

An exploration of modifiable health associated risk factors within a cohort of undergraduate nursing students.

So-called diseases of affluence, otherwise known as 'lifestyle diseases', are attributed to modifiable risk factors that are influenced by lifestyle and personal behaviour. Leading by example is an important way for public health principles to be communicated. In the university context, students of nursing can become aware of the challenge to integrate and apply health principles in their own life so that they become responsible health leaders in the community.