Using Simulation with Wikis and Journals to Teach Advanced Clinical Practice

Recent changes in nursing in the UK have been designed to produce a new type of practitioner who will be emancipated, critically reflective, creative and autonomous (Casey 1996). The move away from ward based training and task orientation to the University has therefore created an ideology toward critical thinking, clinical judgement and autonomy of practice. Biley and Smith (1998) observe that the term nurse “training” has now been replaced by “education” suggesting personal development for life, rather than apprenticeship. These changes need to be addressed in a complex society with changing demographics, increasing costs and decreasing resources (Betchel et al 1999, Greenwood 2000). This has coincided with changes in the education sector. Biggs (1999) observes that the past ten years have seen an “extraordinary” change in the structure, function and financing of universities.