From vocational training to academic education: The situation of the schools of nursing in Sweden

As a consequence of a college reform in 1993, nursing education in Sweden is changing from vocational training to academic education. Teacher competence is considered to be of strategic importance to the quality of education for nurses, and nurse educators are expected to have a doctorate or master's degree in nursing or social science. This article focuses on teaching competence as it is perceived by teachers and describes the strategies used by nurse educators to meet the educational changes. The data for this ethnographic study were collected by participant observations at three Swedish nursing schools and interviews with 59 nurse educators. Results indicate that nurse educators use three different strategies to cope with changing demands and to keep their knowledge and competence as faculty at a desirable level. A good nurse educator must: (a) be a "real" nurse; (b) be well prepared in different subject matters; or (c) have an academic degree (master's degree or PhD). The success of the change from vocational training of nurses to an academic education depends on the faculty composition and the culture of the school. As a result of the increased demands for competence, traditional strategies to cope with change are no longer appropriate. Nonacademic-educated faculty risk losing their identity as good educators. In Sweden, the education at nursing and other colleges is changing. This requires new ways of thinking. Activity must be adjusted to the prevailing times so it will not be trapped in old patterns. For nursing education this change has meant new degree denominations and an academization of education. Besides giving the students professional nursing degrees (diploma degree), some schools have the authority to give bachelor's and master's degrees which can serve as preparation for postgraduate studies. Other prominent changes concern the students' backgrounds and an adjustment to the European labor market. When nursing education is moved toward academization, several problems will be brought to the fore (Bevis & Krulik, 1991). Among other things, nurse educators will be required to teach from an adult pedagogical or academic perspective (i.e., education rather than training) (Burnard, 1990). If this change is not made, there will be no substantial change in the character of nursing education. To meet educational changes, teacher competence is considered to be of strategic importance. To understand what nurse educators do to meet these new demands and why they do it in a certain way, the work culture of which nurse educators are a part must be comprehended. In this article strategies used by nurse educators to maintain their knowledge and competence at a desirable level when the education system is changing are described. The aim of this article is to stimulate discussion regarding what level of competence is desirable for nurse educators in academic education.