Transcript DECENTRALISED PROGRAMMES

MRS E.Z.GUMEDE(UKZN)
MRS N. C. SHANGASE(UKZN)
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To share information about the Decentralised
programmes and to highlight challenges
faced by academic coordinators in this
programme.
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Programmes that are held away from the
university
Cater for working students who are unable to
attend residence universities like full time
students
Concentrate mainly in the rural areas
There is a facilitator on site
Regulated by SANC
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Students are independent learners who are
studying on their own, supported by reading
material.
Consultation with the lecturer is by email,
telephone or video conferencing
UNISA is the only distance institution in South
Africa
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South Africa is faced with shortage of nurses
Highly skilled nurses have left the country
seeking greener pastures
The numbers are far less than what the country
needs to meet with the changes in the disease
profile
In 1990, the SANC allowed private organizations
to train nurses in their communities to meet the
demand
The current rate of nurse production (training) is
still not meeting the demand
This was also done to increase the number of
highly skilled nurses.
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Nursing Management
Bridging Programme
Community Nursing
Mental Health
Primary Care
Midwifery
All these programmes are 120 credits
modules
They can be stand alone modules or be part
of BNAP-Bachelor of Nursing ( Advanced
Practice)
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Durban
Pietermaritzburg
Eshowe
Empangeni
East London
Port Shepstone
Ulundi
Newcastle
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East London
Queenstown
Mbazwana
Middleburg
Cape town
Umtata
Kokstad
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Academic coordinator
Programme manager and facilitator on site
Admin Officer per programme
Central control and monitoring by UKZN
Support form Open Learning-UKZN
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Nursing Management : 360
Bridging Programme : 210
Community Nursing : 330
Mental Health : 87
Primary Care : 265
Midwifery : 55
For the past ten years the programme has
produced more that 1000 nurses annually
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Case base method
Critical thinkers
Prior preparation
Small group discussion
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University system
Infrastructure
Type of students
Teaching method
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Semester modules ( Feb -November )
Year course vs 18 month course
Registration dates
Issuing exam results
SANC prescriptions
◦ number of hours to be covered
◦ shortage of accredited clinical sites
◦ Number of learners per site
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Top down approach style of management
University policies and procedures that are
rigid and not accommodative of decentralized
students
Access to remote deep rural areas
,sometimes the road and the car used are not
well congruent
Part time staff having problems with the
employer mainly after 2010 with RWOPS
policies
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Mature ( 28-60 years )
Out of academia
Technologically challenged
Many responsibilities
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mother
wife
employee
extended families
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Competition with other colleges
Postal delays
No computers
Venues
Rural areas- difficult to reach
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The coordinators have gained experience in
managing decentralized programs
Learned how to do quality control of the
academic program(QPU)
Communication skills improved
Problem solving skills
Critical thinking
Budgeting and financial management of the
program
Development of case studies
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Able to train and develop individuals in their
places of work, no need to resign and move
to cities to attend tertiary institutions
Managed to meet the self actualization needs
of our professionals by offering them the
opportunity to study further at a minimal cost
Education knows no boundaries, yes, indeed
this has been our motto, until end of
2010,where the university decided to stop
offering our courses in other provinces like
E/C and concentrate within KZN
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Buy in from local communities
Partnership with local libraries & schools
Training of facilitators and preceptors
according to UKZN policies
If possible offer our facilitators some
university benefits so as to retain them in the
system
Set up offices in sites which are well
equipped with computers and books
Introduce computer literacy to all so as to
facilitate on line registration and e-learning
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