Opening up the options: making the inflexible into a flexible framework.
The post-registration framework for registered nurses and midwives was set up to provide flexible continuing education programmes for registered nurses. For those students who already have the basic professional qualification specific to their area of practice, professional development programmes are intended as a vehicle for improving their own personal professional competence. However, for those individuals who wish to gain further qualification or to change from one practice context to another, it is argued that the framework does not adequately address their needs. At present, pre-registration diplomates emerge from the Project 2000 programme with a qualification which enables them to work in one specific area of practice only. This early specialization is not in line with current and projected USA and European thinking (Castledine 1995) and may lead to a reduction in the broad base of nursing knowledge. It is further argued that pre-registration programmes should provide a generic base of nursing theory and practice, whereas specialist knowledge and practice should be the main thrust of post-registration work. The authors argue that initial development of nurses in specialist areas at pre-registration level restricts their ability to respond to rapidly changing health care needs later in their careers. The post-registration framework should be a flexible vehicle by which individuals can gain expanded knowledge in a particular field of practice or can change professional direction if they wish. Thus, nurses would have the freedom to develop in a way that is most appropriate to their changing individual needs.