New Curriculum, Primary Health Care and Nursing Practice

Abstract

The Community Enrichment Programme (CEP) was a four-year program of study, which has incorporated Primary Health Care (PHC) and Community Health Nursing practice in the curriculum of a select cohort of undergraduate nursing students at Flinders University. At the end of the students' second undergraduate year this qualitative study showed that PHC principles had permeated the students' thinking. One of the aims of the project was to determine whether enough evidence could be generated to implement ongoing curriculum change. Preliminary evaluation of the views of students, community health nurses, nurse academics and agency and hospital staff has supported this aim. The inclusion of PHC theory and demonstrated practice has not only enhanced the students' knowledge and understanding of the complexities of Community Health Nursing practice but has positively influenced the students' overall perceptions about all nursing practice and its relationships with PHC principles, regardless of the setting. Academics in the School of Nursing are actively engaged in discussion and implementation of the outcomes to date.