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Transforming Education

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Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action

Key Message #2: Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.

Major changes in the U.S. health care system and practice environments will require equally profound changes in the education of nurses both before and after they receive their licenses. Nursing education at all levels needs to provide a better understanding of and experience in care management, quality improvement methods, systems-level change management, and the reconceptualized roles of nurses in a reformed health care system.

Nursing education should serve as a platform for continued lifelong learning and include opportunities for seamless transition to higher degree programs. Accrediting, licensing, and certifying organizations need to mandate demonstrated mastery of core skills and competencies to complement the completion of degree programs and written board examinations. To respond to the underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minority groups and men in the nursing workforce, the nursing student body must become more diverse. Finally, nurses should be educated with physicians and other health professionals as students and throughout their careers.

12/02/11 The NJ Action Coalition, Future of Nursing 1st Year Progress Meeting recommendations for Transforming Education as outlined within the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action

Goal #1: Design Residency Program for Transitions into Practice

  • Practice settings will continue to provide orientation
  • Basic foundational theory taught in academic setting
  • Gerontology principles and leadership practices interwoven
  • Model needs to be self-sustaining
  • Preceptors will have completed preceptor program
  • Organizations that commit will commit as partners

Accomplishments:

  • Preceptor Survey developed and analyzed
  • Competencies and key outline completed for transitions into practice model
  • Proposal in draft format
  • CNO/Director of Nursing Survey developed and sent out

Next Steps:

  • Finish preceptor education outline
  • Analyze survey results
  • Review competencies with the sub-group and Pillar 2 team one more time
  • Have broader constituency review for feedback
  • Discuss if crediting possible or alternatives
  • Seek funding

Goal #2: Design APN Residency

Accomplishments:

  • Survey conducted
  • Connecticut model presented
  • Draft curriculum shared with subcommittee

Next Steps:

  • Finalize curriculum
  • Share with broader group
  • Find funding source to test

Goal #3: Design Academic Progression plan so that by 2020 80% of NJ’s nurses have earned at least a BSN

Accomplishments:

  • Coalition for Action webinars
  • Created ‘Tri-Council’ short-term action group to discuss topic approach
  • Separate meetings held with Diploma, Associates Degree, BSN and Higher Councils
  • Academic Progression meetings held with academe and practice
  • Committee model, ground rules created
  • NJ Master Plan Steering Committee -created

Next Steps:

  • Develop a plan/timeline for  the  NJ Master Plan Steering Committee