Teesside University
International Partners in Education:
The Institiute of Technology, Tralee and the University of Teesside
click here to link to the University Teeside website.
When, in 2001, the IT Tralee/Southern Health Board (SHB) Local Joint Working Group decided to progress their vision of masters level education for health service staff in Kerry, it was clear that any such postgraduate course must fit in with the national health strategy, being strongly founded in practice and contributing to breaking down interdisciplinary boundaries.
A search began to identify the international indicators of best practice in this field. It was natural that the search should become focussed upon the School of Health and Social Studies at the University of Teesside. This School is one of the most highly respected health service education establishments in the UK. It has an impressive history of innovative, practice founded courses and a record of successful international cooperation. In addition, the School has a well deserved reputation for assisting developing organisations.
The M.A. in Advancing Practice that had been developed by the University of Teesside met the criteria that were required in Tralee. It is multidisciplinary and it facilitates students acquiring the skills to identify appropriate evidence based practice and to reflect on their practice at masters level. Students are then enabled to develop change management skills in order to plan and implement strategies to bring practice in their work arena to the standards of best evidence. They carry out an action research project within their practice, maintaining a reflective advancing practice portfolio, and submit a masters thesis reporting on this research.
The University of Teesside agreed to share this masters course with the SHB/ITT team. They recognised that the quality assurance processes of the Institute would enable the M.A. in Advancing Practice to be provided to their exacting standards. A submission was thus prepared for HETAC which was approved and the course commenced in September 2002. The first intake of the course has been restricted to nurses but it is intended to extend the course to all health/social care disciplines in future years. Students on the course are registered both with ITT Tralee and the University of Teesside and they are able to utilise the resources of both institutions. The M.A. Coordinator at the University and the extensive on-line support facilities of the University have been particularly helpful to staff and students in the Department of Nursing and Health Care Studies at IT Tralee.
The link between the University and Institute was further strengthened when the University helped to offset the lack of psychiatric nurse lecturers/tutors in Ireland by seconding members of their team to IT Tralee to assist in the B.Sc. in Nursing in Psychiatric Nursing which also commenced in September 2002. While on secondment, the lecturers have been enthusiastic members of the Department team who have contributed in many ways to the ongoing developments here in Kerry. One lecturer, for example, was helpful in the early stages of the development of the video "Making a Difference: Becoming a Nurse in Tralee". Staff in the Department of Nursing and Health Care Studies, in the Kerry Practice Development Teams and in Clinical Placement Areas are very grateful for the help and support so graciously given by the University.
The Institute of Technology, Tralee and the University of Teesside have awaited an appropriate moment to crystalise their relationship in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement. The visit of the Health Minister, Micheal Martin, on 24th February 2003, provided that moment.
