The role of the personal tutor in the academic context

This paper is the second of a series on the role of the nurse teacher and i s based on a review of the literature and the personal experience of the au thors. Identifying the most appropriate way to support students in both the academ ic and clinical setting has been a major concern for nurse teachers. The mo ve of nurse education into the higher education arena has increased the div erse nature of the nurse teachers role and raised questions about the natur e and function of the personal tutor in relation to students undertaking nu rsing courses. This paper discusses the concept of the personal tutor, with particular focus on the academic aspects of the role. The time implication of adopting an all encompassing personal tutor role, within the current cl imate of higher education, is considered. The paper also highlights that th e roles tutors adopt in practice are diverse and usually as a result of con venience rather than identified outcomes. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.