Reach-out education : using online teaching to reach out to qualified nurses in the clinical field

Abstract

This paper identifies the main some challenges experienced by the authors, all nurse educators, in the development and delivery of an exclusively online academic top –up programme for qualified nurses, through the use of an e-learning platform. The programme has been running for the past six years. It is a post registration programme for qualified health professionals seeking a baccalaureate qualification. Amongst other reasons, shortages of nursing staff in clinical fields often curtails the opportunity for nurses to pursue face-to-face post registration educational opportunities, and consequently this reality jeopardises their respective opportunity to top-up their academic qualification, which, in turn, is often a requisite to career progression. [Excerpt]