Preparing nurses for new advanced practice roles in critical care

Historically, there have been many debates about expanding new nursing roles, particularly in the field of critical care. It is a government initiative now that some nurses will take on such roles for the primary reason of improving the quality of patient care (DoH 2000). A sound academic educational programme at postgraduate level however, must support such an innovation if it is to be effective in achieving the government's long-term plan for the National Health Service and the contribution of a multi disciplinary team. This article will examine the context of evolving nursing roles in critical care, the current post-registration educational provision for nurses in critical care and the future of nurse education for advanced nursing practice roles in critical care, focusing on the new MSc in Paediatric Critical Care (Advanced Nursing Practice) course.