REGISTERED NURSE EDUCATION REVIEW IN NOVA SCOTIA

[Pages:60]REGISTERED NURSE EDUCATION REVIEW

IN NOVA SCOTIA

Final Report

Building our future

A new, collaborative model for undergraduate nursing education in Nova Scotia

2015

Submitted by

Cindy Cruickshank Executive Director, Health System Workforce Branch

Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness

Greg Ells Executive Director, Universities and Colleges Branch

Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education

Co-chairs, Steering Committee Registered Nurse Education Review in Nova Scotia

REGISTERED NURSE EDUCATION REVIEW

IN NOVA SCOTIA

Final Report

2015

Registered Nurse Education Review in Nova Scotia ? Crown copyright, Province of Nova Scotia, 2015

Submitted by

Cindy Cruickshank Executive Director, Health System Workforce Branch

Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness

Greg Ells Executive Director, Universities and Colleges Branch

Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education

Co-chairs, Steering Committee Registered Nurse Education Review in Nova Scotia

Steering Committee

Government of Nova Scotia

Department of Health and Wellness Carmelle d'Entremont Executive Director Health System Workforce

Cindy Cruickshank Acting Executive Director Health System Workforce

Janis Brown Senior Nursing Policy Analyst Health System Workforce

Karen Emberly Administrative Assistant to Executive Director Health System Workforce

Shelley Arsenault Manager Project and Portfolios

Sheri Roach Senior Nursing Policy Analyst Health System Workforce

Department of Labour and Advanced Education Greg Ells Executive Director Universities and Colleges

Joe Meahan Higher Education Strategist

Cape Breton University

Willena Nemeth Director School of Nursing

Dalhousie University

Dr. Kathleen MacMillan Director School of Nursing

St. Francis Xavier University

Dr. Diane Duff Director School of Nursing

Dr. Robert Bailey Vice-President Academic and Professional Studies Gordon MacInnis Vice-President Finance and Operations

Dr. Will Webster Professor and Dean Faculty of Health Professions

Dr. Robert J. van den Hoogen Dean Faculty of Science

Executive Summary

Building our future. A new, collaborative model for undergraduate nursing education in Nova Scotia

Background and context In the autumn of 2012, Nova Scotia launched a review to identify changes required to modernize and strengthen the quality, effectiveness, sustainability and accountability of registered nurse undergraduate education. A steering committee representing the Departments of Health and Wellness and Labour and Advanced Education, Cape Breton University (CBU), Dalhousie University (Dal) and St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) collaborated to review current programs and delivery models, and make recommendations on a new, collaborative model of undergraduate nursing education to better meet current and future population health and care delivery needs.

Summary and messages of the Registered Nurse Education Review process Activities of the Registered Nurse Education Review included background research, a commissioned rapid synthesis review of outcomes among different curricula and models of delivery, a discussion paper led by the directors of the schools of nursing and a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan that included ongoing consultation with an external advisory group, telephone interviews with 32 key informants, and in-person group consultations with 82 stakeholders across Sydney, Antigonish and Halifax.

There was strong support across the province for meaningful change in nursing education with particular attention to: reducing duplication of costs and efforts, recognition of prior learning at all points across nursing education, practice- and job readiness of new graduates, the whole area of clinical practice education, timing of graduations of large cohorts of new nurses, the need to consider new ways to embed specialty clinical training within a generalist BScN program, and attention to interprofessional team functioning and leadership. Background research and the various consultations pointed to the need for changes in the areas of entry into nursing education, progression through it, and graduation and the successful transition from student to effective professional. There was little appetite for tinkering or marginal shifts; rather, most stakeholders spoke to the need for a transformative leap forward.

Nova Scotia's new collaborative model for undergraduate nursing education With students firmly at the center of all efforts, a new, collaborative model for undergraduate nursing education in Nova Scotia was developed to:

? Offer a rich mix of shared/common services, resources and talents to students at each school while also providing specialized skills, programs and talents that are unique to each school.

? Provide a level playing field for students across the province while meeting regional and local needs.

? Improve the student experience within and across schools of nursing and in transition from student to professional.

? Meet the needs of employers, including knowledge and skills of generalist graduates entering highly specialized practice settings.

? Scale up access to distance education learning and a range of programs at each site.

? Reduce costs and duplication of effort and improve efficiency and effectiveness through shared purchasing and deployment of human and other resources.

The new collaborative model will facilitate access to undergraduate education across the province in two main streams ? a traditional four-year program offered at StFX, and an accelerated program for students with previous university courses or degrees offered at all three schools ? as well as access to an RN diplomato-BScN stream and fair and consistent recognition of prior learning and experience for LPNs. Principle features of the new Pathways to nursing education success model (see page 2) include new levels of collaboration among Dal, StFX and CBU to align entry requirements and curricula, shared expertise, online specialty focus electives, clear pathways to entry and progression, innovative delivery methods, recognition of prior learning, opportunity to transfer among schools, optimization of resources and preparation of graduates ready to meet Nova Scotia's current and future system needs. The new model recasts the future of nursing education in Nova Scotia with an ambitious action plan to launch the new direction forward starting with the first cohort of new students in September 2016.

Pathways to nursing education success

Key features of the new model of undergraduate registered nurse education in Nova Scotia

Students and novice RNs are firmly at the centre of all we do

Schools of Nursing

Regulator

Student

Employers

Government

i. Admission

ii. Progression

iii. Graduation and Transition

Staggered program start times Education better aligned with Staggered program graduation

Full recognition or specific block

modern practice settings

times

credit for prior learning

Clinical education redesigned Identify and implement best-

Prerequisites, entrance

to share placements, clinical

practice guidelines across

requirements and curriculum

instructors, preceptors and

schools and with clinical

aligned across the province

interprofessional facilitators

partners province wide

Modernized content and

Consolidated university and Standardized 13-week

delivery of nursing curriculum

employer clinical mentorship

consolidation experience in the

with common first year

and preceptor resources for

practice setting ideally where

curriculum framework within

consistency and efficiency

student will be employed

each mode of of nursing

Specialty clinical concentrations Transition to practice

education delivery

based on population health and

experiences that align with

One policy for entry to

provincial care delivery needs

needs of educational and service

accelerated programs for all innovative delivery methods at

sector partners and make

schools of nursing

each school including access

innovative use of existing funds

Accelerated nursing program at

to high-fidelity simulation

Province-wide strategy to

each school

training and distance learning

support registration exam pass

technologies

rates

Special considerations in each pillar

Consult minority under-represented Nova Scotians and incorporate best practices known to increase enrolment, improve academic success and support transition to practice.

Incorporate and integrate principles and best practices around intra-and interprofessional education and practice into curriculum and teaching.

Develop and implement a strategy for faculty renewal including exploration of DNP programs for Canada.

Coordinate purchasing and faculty deployment to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.

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