Educating Nurses

The authors outline a clear vision of what nursing education can and should be and provide practical exemplars of how we can achieve this vision. This is a call for us to work together as guardians of the discipline to assure that future nurses enter the health care system ready and able to meet the challenges ahead. — PAMELA M. IRONSIDE, director, Center for Research in Nursing Education, Indiana University The profession of nursing in the United States is at a significant moment. Since the last national nursing education study almost forty years ago, profound changes in science, technology, and the nature and settings of nursing practice have reshaped the field. Yet schools have lagged behind in adapting to these changes. Added to this, the profession faces a shortage of nurses and nursing faculty. To meet these challenges, the authors assert that schools, service providers, and the profession must change. They recommend four