Several writers discuss the potential benefits of an adult learning approach, based on the fundamental principles of andragogy; this approach attempts to encourage adult learners to maximise their own potential. One aspect of an adult learning approach centres on the belief that lecturers are not the only source of knowledge. Adult learners come with a wealth of life experience that should be utilised and incorporated into the their learning. This approach has been described as a "community of learners" which includes the teacher, where a culture of genuine value and acceptance of others understanding occurs.

Within the school of nursing, such a culture has been gathering pace, particularly with the inception of the "making a difference" curriculum. Within a culture of adult learning, students should help formulate the curricula rather than adapt themselves to what is being offered. A number of writers suggest that even though national boards and Universities set out a syllabus, students should still continue to have considerable scope to decide how various topics are learned.

This descriptive study aimed to explore the feasibility of identifying the training requirements of a selection of practitioners as potential future students in relation to the inclusion of a new subject area within a revalidated post registration undergraduate module.

Life review has been used as an effective intervention within elderly care settings for several years. A growing number of writers are beginning to consider its use as a therapeutic intervention in palliative care (care of people with a life threatening illness). Prior to incorporating a session exploring life review within the new palliative care modules, I decided to consider the potential student's opinions, beliefs and knowledge regarding the intervention.

A qualitative approach was used through a series of focus group interviews to help gain a clearer picture of the student's understanding of life review and whether they believed it to be a useful intervention. The information collected from the interviews has allowed the development of a session that is aimed at being more appropriate to the students needs.