Abstract
The persistence of multiple educational pathways into the nursing profession continues to occupy scholars internationally. In the Netherlands, various groups within the Dutch healthcare sector have tried to differentiate nursing practice on the basis of educational backgrounds for over 50 years. Proponents argue that such reforms are needed to retain bachelor-trained nurses, improve quality of care and strengthen nurses' position in the sector. Opponents have actively resisted reforms because they would mainly benefit bachelor-trained nurses and neglect practical experience and technical skills. This historical case study aims to provide insight in this apparent stalemate. Our analysis of this debate is informed by literature on institutional work and current debates within the historiography of nursing. This study contributes to a better understanding of this contemporary debate by examining a broader timeframe than is usually studied, and by highlighting nurses' roles in complex processes of change. We argue that, rather than being stuck in their professional development, different groups of nurses have forged their own path forward in their professional development, albeit via different strategies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e12631 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Nursing Inquiry |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 12 Mar 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2024 The Authors. Nursing Inquiry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Funding
We would like to thank all participants who contributed to this study. We also thank the RN2Blend consortium members, including Hester Vermeulen (director), Julia van Kraaij (Netherlands, Radboud University Medical Center), Catharina van Oostveen (Netherlands, Spaarne Gasthuis Hospital), Dewi Stalpers (Netherlands, University Medical Center Utrecht), Dieke Martini, Jet Spits (the Netherlands, Fontys University of Applied Sciences Eindhoven), Roland Bal, Lucas Goossens, Syb Kuijper and Nienke Miedema (Netherlands, Erasmus University Rotterdam), for their constructive feedback and contributions to this study. This qualitative historical case study is part of a wider research programme called RN2Blend. RN2Blend is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. This qualitative historical case study is part of a wider research programme funded by the Dutch government called Registered Nurses to Blend (RN2Blend). The programme is conducted by an independent consortium consisting of Dutch universities and hospital organizations and aims to investigate the implementation of differentiated nursing practice in the Netherlands (Lalleman et al., 2020 ).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam | |
| Dutch government called Registered Nurses | |
| Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum | |
| Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport | |
| University Medical Center Utrecht | |
| Fontys University of Applied Sciences Eindhoven |
Keywords
- education
- historical research
- politics
- professional development
- professionalization