Transcript Distance Learning Re-Entry Nursing Update Project

Distance Learning
Nursing Refresher:
Helping Nurses Reconnect
with Healthcare!
2005
Regional
Workshops
Presentation Objectives
 The
need for nursing refresher
courses
 Refresher student profile
 Components of a refresher course
 Our Project’s purpose/goals
 Current progress of the Project
 Our Project deliverables
The Problem (as of spring 2003)
Nursing shortage is at a critical level
 65% of all hospital vacancies (AHA)
 By 2008, another 450,000 nurses may be
needed in our country (CNN).
 Texas - Projected need for 167,580 RNs
(26.7% increase in a decade) and 70,210
LVNs (increase of 17.8%) by 2010 (TRC).
 Austin - Estimated 12.6% vacancy rate for
RNs and a 9.4% vacancy rate for LVNs in
Central Texas; Austin needs 400 RNs
(1/2003, HISC)

Where Have They Gone?







Many are retiring (average working nurse is 45
years old, ANCC)
Fewer entering nursing (31% decline in those
taking the NCLEX-RN from 1995-2002, AACN)
Work conditions have worsened
Some left to raise families
Some left looking for “greener pastures”
Inadequate capacity in nursing programs (U.S.
nursing schools turned away 18,105 qualified
applicants in 2003, AACN)
Nursing faculty shortage (median age of nurse
faculty is 51.2 years)
One Solution
 Re-entry
nurses offer a quick way to
get skilled nurses back in the clinical
setting
 TX Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE)
– recommends that any nurse out of
“professional nursing practice” for
more than 4 years, take a “refresher”
course
Re-Entry Student Profile
 Reinstate
licensure (will need
temporary permit)
 Out of practice for more than 4 years,
but has current license (referred by
employer)
 Required to obtain TX license (foreign
or out-of-state)
 Professional development (change of
practice area)
Barriers to Re-Entry Nurses
Where available, courses are often full
 Courses are not always available
 Time – many have to continue working
 Funding – can be an issue
 Technology – need to catch up on current
technology in practice
 Fear – believe that they can’t catch up
 Hospitals – some are hesitant to accept a
re-entry nurse for a clinical placement

Project Partners
 Funding
- two one-year Perkins grants
from THECB (total $160,000)
 Development Group Austin Comm. College,
Collin County Comm. College District,
El Paso Comm. College,
Midland College,
North Harris College,
Texas Hospital Association, and
STARLINK
Project Partners (continued)
Group – Angelina College,
Houston Comm. College, Lee College,
McLennan Comm. College, St. Philip’s
College, San Antonio College, Tarrant
County College – South, and
University Health System – San
Antonio
 Guidance - Texas State Leadership
Consortium for Curriculum
Development
 Advisory
Project Web Site
http://nurserefresher.austincc.edu
Includes:
 All project development information
 Portal to BlackBoard
 Student information & forms
 Preceptor information & forms
 College information & forms
Demo of Project Web Site
http://nurserefresher.austincc.edu
A Typical Refresher Course
Didactic
112 hours
Review of basic
med/surg nursing
knowledge & skills
Lab
16
hours
Preceptorship
72 hours
Skills
RN supervised
patient care
experience
Project Goals (Year 1 – 2003-2004)




Provide a distance learning nursing refresher,
delivered through the Virtual College of TX.
Develop a quality course that addresses the
education needs of both the RN and LVN.
Develop flexible, effective and appropriate
distance learning deliverables to make the
nursing refresher course easily accessible.
Promote the use of the distance learning
nursing refresher course through community
colleges around the state of Texas.
Project Goals (Year 2 – 2004-2005)







Enhancement of current teaching units
Support for host/provider colleges (through
regional information workshops)
Add medical Spanish unit and a student
counseling/support module
Promotional activities including a second
STARLINK broadcast
Maintenance of project web site
Packaging and marketing of stand-alone
modules for remediation and CNE use
Research project to identify motivating factors
in re-entry nurses
Features of the Program






Colleges can choose to either “host” students
through VCT or “provide” the complete course
All didactic self-paced content available online text, graphics, streaming video, exercises,
testing, and support from Instructor
CD-ROM version of videos for those without
high speed internet access
Host college will coordinate optional “skills
lab” and required “preceptorship”
Technical support available for colleges
Self-sustaining after grant period
Program Design & Development
 Surveyed
all existing community
college based refresher programs
 Followed BNE and BVNE (now one
entity) expectations for refresher content
 Examined experience with ACC’s
classroom based course
 Involved Development and Advisory
Group members in peer review of
content
Program Content
Orientation (specific to provider)
 Unit 1- Professional Nursing Practice
 Unit 2- Pharmacology Review
 Unit 3- Systems Review and Nursing Care
of Common Disorders
 Unit 4- Care of the Client
 Unit 5- IV Therapy
 Unit 6- Communication & Documentation
 Unit 7: Care of the Terminally Ill

Demo of BlackBoard Course
http://itdl.austincc.edu/blackboard/
Depending on the course delivery system
used (i.e. Web CT), the course layout may
appear different from this demo.
Virtual College of Texas (VCT)
Provider
- “owns” course
- teaches course
- documents
student’s completion
VCT
- is a “utility” of TX colleges
- online catalog/schedule
- student tracking
- makes reservation
- registers student
- provides certificate
& transcripts
- pays provider
Host
Host/Provider Model (VCT)
As a Host
(with ACC providing)
Didactic
Lab
Preceptorship
As a Provider
(without ACC)
Demo of VCT Web Site
www.vct.org
Host Colleges Duties












Market program to your student population
Register and transcript your students
Identify healthcare facility sites for preceptorship
placements
Develop affiliated agreements with chosen healthcare
facilities
Identify potential preceptors (if asked by facility to assist)
Offer preceptor orientation and training
Provide Coordinator/Instructor position to manage
preceptorship
Provide the optional skills lab (facilities & supplies)
Provide desk copies of the required texts in your library
Utilize the Project website as your delivery manual
Provide certificate of completion for students
Ensure that any BNE paperwork is completed for the
student by an RN
Provider Colleges Duties
(includes all Host Duties plus the following)









Manage the entire program
Obtain and “install” the online program at your college
Create an orientation unit specific for your students
Provide an Instructor/Coordinator to teach the online
didactic content (RN required, BSN preferred)
Provide an Instructor/Coordinator to teach the optional
skills lab (RN required)
Provide an Instructor/Coordinator to coordinate clinical
preceptorships
Provide the optional skills lab (facilities & supplies)
Tailor the delivery manual specific to your college
(student requirements, forms, checklists, clinical time logs,
etc.)
Maintain all records and documentation of student
completion.
Program Challenges
 Deciding
to Host or Provide the
Program
 Identifying Instructor/Coordinator
 Setting up optional skills lab
 Establishing clinical placements
 Training preceptors
 Establishing affiliation agreements
We would like to thank …
 Texas
Higher Education
Coordinating Board / Perkins
Funding
 Texas State Leadership Consortium
for Curriculum Development
 Project Development & Advisory
Group Members
 Our 8 Pilot Students
Project Contacts
Kirk White, RN, MSN
Executive Director
ACC Workforce Development Center
512-223-7535, [email protected]