As part of La Trobe’s 50 years of nursing celebrations, we spoke to former Dean, Professor Alan Pearson AM, about the transformation of nursing education.
“I left school at 16, encouraged by my older brother, to become a cadet and trained at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton in England. As a cadet, I spent two years doing very mundane things until I was ready to start my formal nursing training at 18,” he says.
“In those days, you became a nurse under the apprenticeship model, where you did most of your learning on the wards. We had just one day off a week. It was hard work, but I learned a lot.”
Professor Pearson went on to complete a Diploma in Advanced Nursing Studies and a master's degree at the University of Manchester.
“After I did my diploma, it really opened my eyes to new ideas and the importance of evidence-based care in nursing. Driven by this new passion, I went on to complete a PhD with the University of London.”
Professor Pearson joined La Trobe University in 1999, where he served as Dean of the School of Nursing until 2001.
“Even though I was only Dean for a short period, nursing education was moving quickly so it was an exciting time.”
“We introduced Australia’s first four-year undergraduate nursing degree and established the La Trobe Alfred Clinical School. I have always been passionate about clinically focused nursing education, so the opening of the clinical school was a real highlight of my time at La Trobe.”
For Professor Pearson, the biggest positive change over the last 50 years has been the growth of nursing research and advanced studies.
“Nursing is now academically on par with other health professions. It is now accepted for nurses to pursue advanced studies and conduct research, which shows the evolution of discipline.”
