UNCHARTED TERRITORY - MASTERS PREPARATION AS A FOUNDATION FOR NURSE CLINICIAN

The MSc in Clinical Nursing at the University of Liverpool is the firs t of its kind in the UK in that it is the first at Masters degree leve l and the first to prepare a bicultural nurse clinician, an Advanced N urse Practitioner who is able to work in both primary health care and hospital settings. It is suggested that the minimum requirements for s afe practice as a Nurse Clinician is formal preparation at Master's de gree level. The background to the course development is described givi ng details of the rationale and role specification. The course is deta iled and the curriculum issues which informed the course development a re discussed. The goal of the course is to produce a nurse clinician w ho understands the practices in hospital and primary health care setti ngs and the relationship between the two. In addition the nurse clinic ian should be able to deliver evidence-based practice; be politically aware and have an understanding of health care policy. A number of con cerns are raised by this paper in the hope that it can engender profes sional debate about the future direction of Nurse Clinicians.