Nurse Education Tomorrow Conference 1990. Preparation of health care teachers for the future.

There is little doubt that changes in the National Health Service (Government White Paper 1989), the amalgamations of Schools/Colleges of Nursing and often Midwifery and their links with Higher Education will have significant implications for the provision and education of future health care teachers. This paper discusses three key features which emerge from the development of an undergraduate course for preparing health care teachers; the development of specialisms for teachers; the multi-faceted role of the teacher; the reflective practitioner. Central to the success of the course is the notion of 'Partnership' both with the students and the Education Centres providing practice experience. Partnership with the students is exemplified by the experiential nature of the course. Partnership with Accredited Education Centres has resulted in a shift of the locus of control from Higher Education to the practice setting thereby acknowledging the equal status of the partners. It is within this framework that three key features are explored.