Soaring to Greater Heights: Transforming Nursing Education, Research and Practice. Faculty of Nursing. Five Year Strategic Plan

Transcription

1 Soaring to Greater Heights: Transforming Nursing Education, Research and Practice Faculty of Nursing Five Year Strategic Plan March

2 Table of Contents Page 1.0 Executive Summary Introduction The context Challenges and opportunities Vision, Mission and Values Strategic Goals and Initiatives Social Justice and Health Research Excellence Learning centredness Profile and Reputation Enrolment Targets Collaborative BScN Program Post Diploma BScN Program Graduate Programs New Programs Contribution of plan to TGH Learning Centredness Graduate outcomes Research Revenue generation Profile and reputation Campus pride Collaborative initiatives/partnerships International opportunities Supporting our goals Collaborative BScN program Clinical placements Rationale for investment in faculty Faculty Experiential Learning Centre Faculty Alumni and Development Officer Administrative support Summary 26 2

3 1.0 Executive Summary The Faculty of Nursing is confronted with extraordinary challenges that will shape it over the next five years. In particular, Canada is facing a current and looming serious nursing shortage. According to CNA (2002) current shortages range between 16,000 and 20,000 and it is predicted that by 2011, the numbers of shortages will increase to 78,000 and by 2016 to 113,000. In addition to projected nursing shortages is the projected loss of nurses due to the retirement of an aging nursing workforce, which is not being renewed. Coupled with workforce shortages is that the numbers of Ontario graduates is considerably lower than Ministry targets, by approximately 1000 in The expected number of graduates for 2005 is 1523; ; and Thus the pressure from the Ministry to increase student numbers and graduates continues. In the next five years the Faculty of Nursing aims to build on its current strengths and reposition itself in light of changing trends and issues in health care, the discipline, nursing education and research. The Faculty of Nursing has prepared a plan that contemplates significant expansions in both its undergraduate (Plan 2) and graduate programs and in establishing a fast track second degree program that can also be utilised for internationally educated nurses. The collaborative BScN program is growing so rapidly that further strategic planning is required to explore creative and innovative strategies to cope with the numbers of students. An emerging area in great demand in nursing is professional development and continuing education. The faculty contemplates an expansion of its research capacity with a focus on applied research that impacts on social justice, education, practice and policy. These expansions are critically dependent on the Faculty s ability to recruit and retain new and current faculty in the face of faculty shortages and competition. The planning process included: two one day facilitated planning workshops with all faculty from the colleges and the university; two facilitated strategic planning days with university faculty; feedback from students via Deans lunches; feedback from the undergraduate and graduate program committee meetings; and research workshops and planning meetings. The five strategic areas that define the plan were developed in the context of the university plan, To Greater Heights and in response to issues and trends in health care and nursing: 1. Social Justice and Health 2. Learning Centred 3. Research Excellence 4. Faculty profile and reputation Given the dynamic nature of the health care and education sectors it is important that the plan is flexible and able to respond to challenges and opportunities that may arise. 3

4 2.0 Introduction 2.1 The context The past five years have been successful and challenging for the Faculty of Nursing. During this period, the faculty: 1) developed and implemented a collaborative program with St. Clair and Lambton Colleges, which graduated the first cohort in 2005; 2) enhanced its graduate program offerings and enrolments with the addition of a Master of Nursing degree program; 3) maintained its research productivity; and 4) successfully pursued a number of non-traditional clinical venues, locally and regionally, in response to the loss of clinical placements in Detroit following September 11, 2001 and in local hospitals following the SARS outbreak. However it was a period of rapid growth in the collaborative program as the colleges continued to reach their projected targets. The increased numbers of students entering the university in third and fourth years of the program have impacted significantly on space, clinical facilities, sessional costs, faculty workloads and faculty capacity to do research and scholarship. While enrolment projections are under discussion between the university and the colleges, the Faculty of Nursing is considering alternatives models of program delivery that will make it more sustainable, for example, is it feasible that the four years of the collaborative program be offered at the college sites? The Faculty of Nursing prepares students to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree (undergraduate and post diploma streams), Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner certification (distance education curriculum and provincial consortia) and a graduate degree, Master of Nursing Science (MScN) and Master of Nursing (MN). The College of Nurses Ontario (CNO) recommendation was followed by a government announcement in 2000 that as of January 1, 2005 all new Ontario nurses were required to have a four-year baccalaureate nursing degree. Subsequently, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities offered financial support to colleges and universities who wished to introduce collaborative programs. Since 2000, there was ongoing collaboration between St. Clair College, Lambton College, and the University of Windsor to engage in the development and delivery of a collaborative baccalaureate nursing program. A formal agreement amongst the three institutions was signed in the fall of 2001 and is currently under review. In November 2002 the collaborative baccalaureate program was reviewed for candidacy approval, a quality process undertaken prior to full accreditation in The undergraduate program underwent an internal undergraduate review in March 2006 and is due for accreditation in November A program evaluation committee was formed and with a consultant, a comprehensive collaborative program evaluation strategy was developed and piloted in The first 85 graduates of the program received their degrees in June Registration examination results for the year 2005 was 94% pass. 4

5 The Faculty of Nursing currently offers one graduate program leading to the degree of Master of Science and a second professional graduate program leading to the degree of Master of Nursing. The programs are designed to meet the graduate educational needs of employed baccalaureate prepared nurses. While there is strong societal need for masters prepared nurses, the economic climate precludes nurses giving up employment to return to university full-time. In this program, students move as a cohort through a planned sequence of part-time studies, which includes only one full-time semester when students complete an intensive clinical practice course. The program makes it feasible for parttime students to graduate after two and one-half to three academic years. It is also possible for students to complete the program sooner if they attend full-time. The students in the Master of Science program take 6 courses and complete a research thesis. Students in the Master of Nursing program complete a total of 10 courses. The Faculty of Nursing employs a contingent of 21 tenure track faculty; four sessional lecturers and approximately 70 sessional instructors. Six core faculty have completed their doctoral degree in the past five years. Two additional faculty have successfully reached the stage of doctoral candidacy. Five of six limited-term faculty are currently progressing with course work in doctoral programs. There are currently six tenure track vacancies that are bridged to limited term appointments. 2.2 Current Challenges and Opportunities The faculty is faced with challenges both internal and external, which will shape it over the course of the next five years. Foremost among these is the unprecedented demand for undergraduate nursing education. Canada is facing a current and looming serious nursing shortage. According to CNA (2002) current shortages range between 16,000 and 20,000, which represents a serious deficit for the workforce. It is predicted that by 2011, the numbers of shortages will increase to 78,000 and by 2016 to 113,000. In addition to projected nursing shortages is the projected loss of nurses due to the retirement of an aging nursing workforce, which is not being renewed. Coupled with workforce shortages is that the numbers of Ontario graduates is considerably lower than Ministry targets, by approximately 1000 in The expected number of graduates for 2005 is 1523; ; and Thus the pressure from the Ministry to increase student numbers and graduates continues. However, there are barriers across universities in Canada and in the province that prevents simply increasing the numbers of seats for nursing without the infusion of considerable additional resources. These barriers include primarily: The limited supply of nursing faculty Reduced clinical placement opportunities (due to downsizing, restructuring and amalgamations) and therefore decreased capacity for increasing student numbers The lack of physical classroom and laboratory space due to insufficient infrastructure 5

6 The need for more resources is supported by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) in a very recent media release calling upon the federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Health, and Ministers of Educations across Canada to recognise the pressing need to enhance universally accessible health care and that governments must now do their part to support Schools of Nursing to facilitate the achievement of appropriate numbers of skilled and knowledgeable nursing graduates. The Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor and collaborative partners at St. Clair College, Windsor, St. Clair College, Thames campus, and Lambton College in Sarnia have invested a great deal of energy in redesigning the curriculum for the collaborative nursing program. We now find ourselves at a crossroads with increasing enrolments and shrinking clinical placement capacity and a relative decrease in available preceptors due to expanded enrolments in the program and fewer experienced clinical faculty. Our enrolments are thriving, attrition rates have stabilized and we have been successful in attracting a larger number of male students into the nursing program. Faculty recruitment and retention efforts, however, need to continue to fill current vacancies, and nursing requires a continued investment of monies to support growth. Specific requests include additional office space for sessional instructors, research office space, and expansion of nursing laboratory facilities for the increased numbers of students and the recently funded simulation lab. Overall, the size of our student population in nursing has increased workload for faculty, administrative support requirements, and our need for large classrooms, laboratory space, sessional instructors and preceptors. In particular, the third and fourth years of the program are experiencing challenges related to growth. Student feedback reinforces the negative impact that increased student numbers have on the size of clinical groups, learning resources, and access to faculty. If enrolment targets for the colleges continue at the same rate the total numbers of students in the collaborative program are estimated to be ; ; ; The number of students on campus at the University of Windsor in 2009 will be 1010 nursing students. These numbers are not sustainable in terms of university facilities, university faculty and clinical placement capacity. Linking students across four campuses with different timetables is very challenging. A particular focus has been to ease the transition of second year students from the college sites to the University site for third year. Several initiatives have been adopted to facilitate student movement between sites. One successful strategy was to invite second year students preparing for transfer to visit our campus in the spring of their second year. At this visit, students have been encouraged to attend a class, tour the campus with nursing society tour guides (an organization of nursing students on the University of Windsor campus), and meet the Dean and faculty advisor to the Nursing Society. In the spring of 2004, this visit was expanded to include a virtual tour of the University to show students how to navigate the Student Information System at the University in preparation for registering for their fall classes. Feedback from students has been encouraging, but 6

7 the transition continues to be problematic with transfer students experiencing culture shock upon arrival at the University campus. Future plans include a fall orientation at the university for all students in the collaborative program to enhance a sense of belonging to the University. Graduate student enrolments and completion have increased markedly (40%) since the introduction of a professional MN degree in The MN degree is particularly attractive to nursing administrators and community college faculty. The graduate curriculum was reviewed and the streams of study transformed to reflect changing needs in nursing and health care delivery. The new streams are: Advanced Clinical Practice; Leadership in Nursing; and Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner. The latter program is currently offered by a provincial consortium at a post RN certificate level. The Nurse Practitioner certificate is moving to graduate level across the province and will commence in The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) will continue to directly fund the nurse practitioner courses offered through the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing Nurse Practitioner (COUPN, NP) consortia at the graduate level. An OCGS review of the graduate program and its new streams is due in The faculty is in a very strong position to develop a strategic research plan and to build the infrastructure to support an innovative research program. A Research Coordinator was appointed in 2006 and the university initiative of Research Leadership Chair positions in will enable the growth of the Faculty s research and scholarship activities. Collaborative research partnerships have been formed externally with local hospitals, college partners and other health care providers in the region and internally with other faculties that contribute to the university s research pinnacles, such as AUTO 21. There are also international links with Wayne State University. The greatest competition from other institutions offering nursing education programs is the provision of programs solely through flexible delivery modes at the post Diploma and the graduate levels. The faculty is committed to developing blended delivery of on-line courses, which reflects our focus on a learning centred philosophy. 7

8 3.0 Vision, Mission and Values 3.1 Vision The Faculty of Nursing will be recognised nationally and internationally for providing premier nursing education programs that are shaped by the principles of social justice, a learning centred philosophy and advancement of the discipline through research, scholarship and application of nursing knowledge. 3.2 Mission The mission of the University of Windsor Faculty of Nursing is to prepare graduates who will practice in partnership with clients, families, communities, groups, and service providers to facilitate the promotion, achievement and maintenance of optimum levels of health. The scope of the program includes teaching scientifically-based nursing practice utilising theory, clinical skills, and research findings in the care of individuals, families, groups and communities. In recognition of the evolving nature of the global community and changing health care systems, critical thinking and creative problem solving are emphasized through the use of professional skills such as: communication, caring, problem-solving, decision-making, teaching and learning, management, and change. Students have opportunities to provide leadership in their nursing practice in a variety of Canadian and international health care facilities and community settings, both traditional and non-traditional. The Faculty fosters personal and professional development and ethical accountability, preparing nurses for changing and expanding roles in accord with the University s statement of characteristics of a Windsor graduate Values Respect Integrity Fairness Learning Balance The strategic goals and the initiatives that have been identified to achieve them is captured in the following summary of the latest planning day: Shaping Healthy Futures through Innovation, Integration, Integrity and Imagination in Scholarship, Research, Leadership, and Professional Practice. 8

9 4.0 Strategic Goals 4.1 Social Justice and Health This focus is defined by its orientation towards clients, communities, faculty and students. Social justice is central to nursing practice and health care and incorporates issues such as; client advocacy; health inequalities; health for all; equity and access to health care; respect for human rights; multiculturalism; racism; care for vulnerable populations and care for marginalized individuals. Goal To build a reputation for espousing the principles of social justice in health, education, practice, research and policy Initiatives Review current policies and practices related to students, faculty and staff to ensure that they are consistent with the core tenets of social justice Ensure that the programs being delivered are consistent with the philosophy Provide academic and counselling support for students and faculty from a diverse range of backgrounds Develop courses in the undergraduate and graduate programs that specifically address social justice, equity and diversity in health Foster an environment that welcomes and supports students, faculty and staff without discrimination or intolerance Specifically target underrepresented populations in student recruitment campaigns eg. Aboriginal and male students Provide language and cultural orientation for international students and faculty Initiate further research into social justice issues in health 9

10 4.2 Research Excellence As a practice based discipline the Faculty of Nursing is committed to applied research through knowledge discovery and knowledge transfer to achieve best nursing practices based on evidence. Goal To promote, support and increase nursing research and knowledge transfer to achieve best nursing practices based on evidence. Initiatives Build a FON research culture and credible reputation in research & scholarship Provide research space, facilities and course release to enable growth in research productivity Create an environment that supports high quality research and attracts quality researchers Collaborate with local and regional industry, stakeholders and college partners to tender for joint research and consultancies Develop strategic research plan that identifies faculty research strengths, research clusters and research priorities Build the graduate program within the faculty, leading to PhD Increase research productivity and outcomes in areas of research strengths, eg through the acquisition of competitive grants, publications etc Implement a faculty fund-raising campaign to finance an endowed Research Chair Establish a seeding fund for research initiatives within the faculty to assist with grant writing and publication Increase knowledge transfer skills among students, managers and professionals to promote research/evidence based decision making Host annual research conference at the University of Windsor 10

11 4.3 Learning Centredness The focus on building a learning-centred Faculty of Nursing extends beyond the individual student and embraces all aspects of the teaching-learning process. Goal To achieve excellence in teaching and learning and student/faculty engagement through a learning centred philosophy/approach. Initiatives Expand flexibility and accessibility of post RN BScN and graduate programs through on-line course development and blended course delivery. Pilot on-line courses in Leadership and Management and Community as Client in Pilot two on line core graduate courses Achieve CASN accreditation for the Collaborative BScN program and OCGS approval of new streams in the graduate program in Enhance experiential learning through establishment and expansion of Experiential Learning Centre Explore alternative clinical placements and reopen negotiations with Michigan Support faculty practice release to enhance teaching Seek internship funding and support from MOHLTC to fast track students Enhance integration of students in the collaborative BScN Conduct ongoing curriculum assessment and review Explore alternative program delivery methods for collaborative program Support teaching-learning activities for preceptors, sessional instructors, sessional lecturers, limited term lecturers and faculty, that will lead to improved classroom and clinical teaching and learning Conduct educational and evaluative research Engage more undergraduate students in research through membership on the research working group and direct involvement in faculty research projects Enhance student advisement through mentorship and peer groups 11

12 4.4 Profile and Reputation Goal To enhance the profile and reputation of the FON within the university and at the local, national and international levels Initiatives Improve website as a means to communicate with and recruit prospective faculty, students, scholars and alumni Enhance lab and teaching spaces improve faculty and student recruitment Host annual conference Increase international and national links with eminent scholars and universities Mini Nursing series offered to the local community on health topics Actively engage Alumni in university development Increase donations for teaching, labs and research Identification of stories for Daily News and external publications Maintain development updates on website Profile and showcase achievements, graduates and alumni Complete new DVD on Nursing as part of publicity and recruitment Annual Open Day to showcase simulated lab and facilities Engage with local stakeholders and chapter of Sigma Theta Tau in joint education and scholarship activities 12

13 5.0 Enrolment Targets 5.1 Collaborative BScN program In the past five years the Faculty has experienced a radical increase in the undergraduate enrolments, particularly in the third and fourth years of the program, when students from the colleges come to the university to complete their studies. There are currently 615 students in the program at the university compared with 218 in 1999, an increase of more than 300%. College enrolments are increasing with a critical impact on classroom, lab and examination facilities within the university and externally on clinical placement facilities. Within the Faculty increased numbers have placed tremendous pressures on administrative staff, the clinical placement coordinator and on faculty who provide counselling and advisement for students. Time for research and other scholarly activities has been compromised. Despite the significant increase in student enrolments the faculty complement has remained unchanged. Administrative support also remained unchanged until recently with only a marginal increase from 2.6 to 3.0. The clinical placement coordinator who is also administrative assistant to the Dean has taken the brunt of the increased numbers in attempting to place students in already over subscribed health agencies. There are currently eight spaces for 70 sessional instructors. Faculty are concerned that the demands of managing large numbers of students may decrease our overall effectiveness in program delivery. In particular, the third and fourth years of the program are experiencing significant challenges related to growth, particularly as it relates to supporting student learning. For example, in the 2005/06 year the University was unable to find enough classrooms to support sections for each nursing theory course, which resulted in faculty teaching classes of 220 students. With this class size it has been difficult to establish supportive faculty-student relationships in order to work closely with students, particularly students who are experiencing difficulty with academic challenges or stress. In addition, the nursing students at the University of Windsor campus compete for clinical placements with years one and two offered at the St. Clair College, Windsor Campus with a projected enrolment of 100 students per year beginning in fall Increasing Enrolment / Decreasing Clinical Capacity While the university site has decreased enrolments in the first year of the program to address this escalating concern, the enrolments at the partner sites continue to grow. Enrolment targets, in the original collaborative agreement, were determined prior to healthcare cuts and downsizing in the local healthcare environment. In the early planning phases, enrolment targets did not account for hospital mergers, decreased number of acute care beds, and decreased or closure of specialty services with a loss of clinical placement sites in hospitals. A recent informal study of clinical capacity in our community has further illuminated disturbing trends in community capacity, which must be addressed immediately. 13

14 Given the impact of student numbers on the Faculty and university facilities and resources it is timely to consider different ways in which the collaborative program can be delivered. There are other models of program delivery within the province that can be explored. For example, some offer all four years of the BScN collaborative program at each of the partner campuses. This model calls for university faculty teaching at the college sites, increased demand for on-line courses and flexible learning technologies and increased use of communication technologies. The collaborative programs are to be evaluated across the province and Cathexis Consulting Inc, a medium sized consulting firm based in Toronto, has just been awarded the contract. A taskforce of faculty and community partners will be convened to examine the evidence for current delivery model of the collaborative program (student outcomes, faculty workload, space needs, research impact) and compare it with models in the province. This taskforce will develop recommendations for program delivery based on provincial evaluation and evidence of quality of program delivery. 5.2 Post Diploma BScN degree While the post Diploma program was expected to be redundant by 2007, surveys at one city hospital and one rural hospital in the region, indicate that there are large numbers of RN s (>70%) who do not have a BScN and are seeking programs and courses that are more flexible and accessible at their workplace. In response to the hospital survey, the Faculty of Nursing offered s single course in Health Assessment, as a pilot in the summer of 2005 at the Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital. Twenty nurses successfully completed the course on site at the hospital, where space and equipment were provided at no cost. The cost of the course was supported by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and the hospital administration. There is demand for other single courses to be offered and for new courses to be offered at Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital, Leamington District Memorial Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre and the Ford car company. The faculty aims to offer a suite of courses to RNs with the aim of recruiting students into the Plan 11 program. Given the large numbers of nurses who do not have a BScN, the longevity of the Plan 11 program is expected to be a minimum of 10 years. Alternative models of delivering the program will offer an opportunity to develop fast track or accelerated education that could allow students to stream into graduate studies in a seamless fashion. 14

15 Table 1: Enrolment targets for undergraduate programs Enrolment Targets for all Programs (Head Count) Program BScN Of Colleges** Post Dip Second n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a degree Bridge n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Masters IEN RN n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a RPN/BScN n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a RN-EC n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 18 n/a n/a n/a n/a **Numbers refer to the actual enrolments for and projected enrolments for for St. Clair and Lambton colleges. If enrolment targets for the colleges continue at the same rate the total numbers of students in the collaborative program are estimated to be ; ; ; The number of students on campus at the University of Windsor in 2009 will be 1010 nursing students. These numbers are not sustainable in terms of university facilities, university faculty and clinical placement capacity. 5.3 Graduate Programs To help increase nursing faculty between 2001 and 2008, the Graduate Nurse Expansion Program will provide $12.6 million to expand enrolment in the Master of Science in Nursing programs (Laying the Foundation for Change: A Progress Report on Ontario s Health Human Resources Initiatives, December 2005, p 10). With the development of the Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program at the graduate level this will attract not only those nurses with the NP certificate but also nurses who have been waiting for the NP to move to the graduate level. Develop on-line courses and blended delivery. Two core courses will be developed and piloted over the next 6-9 months. Table 2: Enrolment targets for Graduate programs Graduate Enrolment Targets Program MN n/a MScN MN NP n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a PhD n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

16 5.4 New programs RPN to BScN Program There are three pilot programs being evaluated in the province at Ottawa, McMaster and Ryerson universities. There is increasing demand from the RPNs for bridging programs to BScN Internationally Educated Nurses Develop a new bridging program for internationally educated nurses Re-establish fast track for second degree students Continuing Education Program Certificate Programs for RNs who wish to take Specialty Courses in Nursing Certification programs have been strongly encouraged and sought after by local Health care agencies who struggle to meet the costs of orientation and education in their agencies. Examples of Certificate Courses that could be developed and offered as early as summer 2006 or fall 2006 include the following: a. Oncology Nursing Certificate b. Perioperative and Operating Room Specialization c. Advanced Adult Health d. Critical Care Nursing e. Evidence Based Practice Certificate (Evidence based practice and research) f. Leadership and Management Certificate (stream into Masters program) g. Advanced Health Assessment (currently being taught at 3 local hospitals) h. Pediatric Nursing/Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing i. Advanced Maternity Nursing These programs would rely heavily on the use of Simulated Patient experiences in a laboratory setting to support critical thinking and decision making in specialized clinical settings. These programs would also rely on use of Standardized Patient and Family experiences with live actors and students from the School of Dramatic Art to simulate Nurse Client interactions. Multidisciplinary models of teaching would also be an important component of these certificate courses. Fast Track BScN that interfaces with Current Course Base Masters Program Currently, there are approximately 1000 nurses at Windsor Regional Hospital and 600 Nurses at Hotel Dieu Hospital. Fewer than 50 of these 1600 nurses working in staff nurse positions hold a BSc.N. degree. The only option that currently exists for these nurses is a traditional undergraduate program (described above as Plan II) that takes 4-5 years to 16

17 complete. Both Wayne State University and University of Western Ontario offer Fast track programs. McGill University offers a 12 month undergraduate degree preparation to enter their Masters of Nursing program. The proposed program offers nurses a one year fast track option that leads directly into a course based Masters program currently approved for the Center for Executive Education. The Certificate courses could also be used as credit towards the fast track program and would offer a seamless and integrated approach to Nurses to pursue advanced education. Fast Track Course Based Masters Program for Nurses who have a BScN This program currently exists and could be offered in a flexible, accessible manner on site for Nurses practicing at local Clinical Agencies. This 18 month program offers much greater flexibility for Nurses in practice and is a fast track, intensive program alternative to the existing Masters Program offered by the Faculty of Nursing. 17

18 6.0 Contribution of Plan to TGH 6.1 Learning Centredness The focus on building a learning-centred Faculty of Nursing extends beyond the individual student and embraces all aspects of the teaching learning process. The Faculty is committed to achieving excellence in teaching and learning through student engagement, active and collaborative learning, enriching educational experiences and a supportive campus environment. One strategy that demonstrates success in student retention rates was the provision of a science tutor for nursing students, as science was identified as a major reason for increasing attrition rates in the early year of the nursing program. Retention rates in year 2 of the program increased from 72.5% in the year 2000 to 91.2% in In keeping with the definition of Learning-Centredness at the University of Windsor, the Faculty of Nursing focuses on student learning and student success. We pride ourselves on our commitment to teaching, learning new teaching methods and being innovative in the classroom, labs and clinical facilities. Teaching writing skills continues to be a priority in nursing, which is continually challenged by the ever increasing enrolments. Nursing courses build on each other and require students to engage in learning activities that expose them to increasingly complex situations and demand an integration and synthesis of previously acquired knowledge. Courses are developed based on the assumption that it is impossible to teach students all they need to know and that knowledge changes so rapidly that current knowledge soon becomes obsolete. Thus, students are expected to bear significant responsibility for their own learning. Instructors advise students where they can seek learning resources, but students are expected to develop skills in critical appraisal in order to problem solve and discover new knowledge in response to their own questions. This approach is intended to foster life-long learning and to prepare graduates for the challenges of a dynamic health care system. A strong partnership with the Nursing Society is mutually beneficial and includes activities such hosting the CNSA conference in 2005 with over 200 delegates from across Canada; faculty support of students attending conferences, nursing games etc; Windsor welcome week; job fairs and joint fundraising activities like the recent Polar Bear Dip, where over $7000 was raised for childhood cancer research. The Nursing Society provides valuable leadership experience for students and a faculty advisor acts as a positive role model. The Faculty of Nursing was successful in obtaining a grant from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to purchase state-of-the-art clinical simulation equipment. This initiative provides new simulators to launch the FON clinical simulation lab and potential for an innovative inter-professional teaching program for nursing students, medical students and other health professional students using high calibre clinical simulation. The program provides students with the opportunity to practice team skills in a simulated 18

19 setting and to promote an appreciation and respect for each other s profession in a safe environment. Students will experience excellent simulated teaching/learning scenarios. The equipment will take up significant space in the current lab facilities and will lead to a greater use of the equipment by not only students in the university but also by the local community and health care organisations. This initiative will necessitate a reorganization of existing resources and the acquisition of new resources. To enhance the students experiential learning at the FON we plan to integrate the three areas in the Faculty that relate to experiential teaching and learning: simulation labs; standardized patient program and clinical placement program. The faculty will work closely with CFL to ensure maintenance of the simulation labs. 6.2 Graduate outcomes The process of reviewing graduate outcomes is complemented by program evaluation, which will elicit feedback from students, faculty, alumni, clinical stakeholders, employers of graduates and preceptors. The collaborative curriculum committee has undertaken a concept mapping exercise across the four years of the collaborative baccalaureate program. A review of the collaborative curriculum and concept mapping exercise along with graduate outcomes and competencies will be implemented by the collaborative faculty at a planning workshop in June Having run the program for all four years it is timely to review the curriculum framework and program structure. The first cohort of students from the collaborative program graduated in June The 32 students who participated in the government sponsored externship pilot project completed their studies in December 2004 and wrote the competency-based registration examinations in January The success rate for this group of students was 94%. The program evaluation committee is currently collecting program evaluation data through a pilot survey sent out to students, faculty and relevant stakeholders. An internal undergraduate review process was completed in March Data from the review will provide recommendations to the collaborative faculty and will assist in the organisation of our curriculum review and graduate outcomes workshop to be held in June Accreditation will occur in November Graduate outcomes at the Masters level were reviewed by the graduate committee and new streams developed to reflect the changing needs and demands of nurses, for example, Leadership, Advanced practice and Nurse Practitioner streams. 6.3 Research As stated in goal 4.2 and consistent with TGH plan, the aim is to expand research and scholarship in the Faculty of Nursing with the longer term goal of developing a PhD program. Three collaborative models of PhD that are currently being explored include: a PhD in Health Sciences at the University of Windsor, which is also multidisciplinary in nature; a joint PhD in Nursing with Wayne State University; a consortia PhD in Nursing with Ryerson and York University. A PhD in Health Sciences would assist the university to establish a fourth Health pinnacle, as well as contribute to the current three pinnacles: 19

20 social justice, environment and automotive. The goal is to make a significant contribution through its scholarship, research and publications to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the discipline of nursing, which informs professional practice, patient care, service delivery, education and policy development. The Faculty of Nursing has experienced major developments in its research profile and productivity. With regard to research it should be noted that health services are increasingly requiring evidence based nursing practices and funding agencies are increasing their support of nursing research. As the Faculty research profile and strength increases there is increased demand for faculty release for research, publishing, conference presentations and other scholarly activities. Despite increasing class sizes and the administrative demand, the Nursing Faculty has maintained active research programs and presented and published findings in a wide variety of high-profile venues. The position of Research Coordinator was established to assist the faculty to develop a strategic research plan; to identify research strengths and teams and to create an infrastructure of support with mentoring for new faculty. A joint research workshop with college faculty was held in 2004 to discuss and share research interests under the direction of the Associate Dean and the Research Coordinator. St. Clair College is now moving towards developing a research ethics policy and allocating specific funds for faculty research development. It is anticipated that collaborative research teams will develop across sites the first of which will specifically evaluate the new simulated lab curriculum currently being developed. Ongoing workshops are planned to establish collaborative research teams of university and college faculty, which includes students. 6.4 Revenue generation Increase graduate enrolment to benefit from special envelope funding. The Masters stream of Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner is expected to attract more graduate students. The NP courses are all offered on line through the provincial consortia and the flexibility and accessibility is attractive for nurses. The NP courses are funded directly by the MOHLTC. In this financial year for example, this funding provided a computer lab for students. The establishment of a continuing education program with the Centre for Executive Education will generate revenue through provision of certificate courses and other initiatives to meet the educational demands of nurses in the local and regional areas. Increase research grants to generate research infrastructure Annual research and nursing conferences have potential for revenue generation 20

21 Alumni and donor cultivation requires investment (full-time FADO) for revenue generation Major fundraising campaign to finance an Endowed Chair in Nursing specific practice area to be determined but oncology appears to be appropriate New scholarships to benefit from government matching scheme Simulation lab in demand from other groups in the community for teachinglearning purposes. Rental costs would provide some revenue Fundraising campaign and sponsor cultivation for additional equipment in sim labs 6.5 Profile and Reputation The Faculty of Nursing enjoys a positive reputation and profile in the nursing and health services community. However, there are strategies that will continue to strengthen the profile and reputation of the faculty and the university identified in initiatives to support this specific goal. The first annual report of research in the faculty of Nursing was published in 2006 and was distributed internally across the university and externally to stakeholders, schools of nursing and alumni. This will be a regular annual feature to showcase the FON achievements in research and scholarship. The Faculty of Nursing website requires a total overhaul to enhance the profile and reputation of the faculty. This is currently under construction however a dedicated person is required to assist with this. The Faculty will pursue the IT services for assistance with this development The University of Windsor Nursing Honor Society underwent a rigorous process of becoming a chapter and met all requirements in A formal chartering ceremony will be held in April 2006 for the official induction of the University Of Windsor Tai Upsilon Chapter Of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society Of Nursing. To be inducted as a chapter into the Sigma Theta Tau signifies to the profession worldwide that we are committed to the pathways for nursing excellence through scholarship, leadership and research applied in clinical practice. The vision of the society is to create a global community of nurses who lead in using scholarship, knowledge and technology to improve the health of the world's people. It provides for the faculty and the university international recognition of scholarship and commitment to nursing excellence. It also enables stronger partnerships with community agencies and nursing organisations to provide joint educational and research activities for Windsor and the tricounty areas. 21

22 6.6 Campus Pride The Toldo Health Education centre building is a state of the art building with cutting edge technology in classrooms and student spaces. For the Faculty of Nursing the move from Chrysler Hall North renewed a sense of pride for faculty and students and the general public. The Experiential Learning Centre will add value to the faculty and the university and reflects its commitment to cutting edge technology in simulated teaching and learning. The addition of a medical school adjacent to the Toldo building will provide new opportunities for joint initiatives. 6.7 Collaborative initiatives/partnerships Collaborative initiatives and partnerships are extremely important for building a solid reputation in the local, regional, provincial, national and international communities. Faculty have extensive memberships on professional committees and boards, taskforces, editorial boards, research review committees and on national and international policy committees, which also enhance the profile and reputation of the Faculty and the university. Other initiatives include: Continuing Education Program initiative provides multiple benefits to the faculty, the university and the nursing and health care community. It is also revenue generating initiative and a strategy for recruiting undergraduate and graduate students as well as providing continuing education and seminars/workshops for nurses in the region. Certificate programs, short courses and university courses will be offered based on demand. Joint International Master of Public Health program between University of Windsor and Wayne State University. Potential for double degree between nursing and public health Pilot a Graduate Diploma in teaching-learning with Faculty of Education Explore best model for PhD development: PhD in Health Sciences at the University of Windsor, which is also multidisciplinary in nature; a joint PhD in Nursing with Wayne State University; a consortia PhD in Nursing with Ryerson and York University. A PhD in Health Sciences would assist the university to establish a fourth Health pinnacle Development of a multidiscipline course Inter-professional Ethics in Health with School of Social Work Collaborative research proposal with colleagues in psychology, social work and education Collaborative research proposals with colleagues at Wayne State 22

23 6.8 International opportunities The faculty has implemented an international exchange program to offer students in the undergraduate program opportunities to seek learning opportunities in global health. Three students have recently completed the first international exchange in Jonkoping University, Sweden where students completed the fall semester of fourth year. Students in this exchange program were able to take Community Nursing in Sweden including clinical placements with District Nurses in Sweden (similar to our Nurse Practitioners). This has been a very successful exchange opportunity for students who traveled extensively in Europe and worked closely with a number of international students attending the University of Jonkoping. The second exchange opportunity for third year students in the program is attending the Victoria University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia for the winter semester. This exchange is also the first of its kind for the University of Windsor Faculty of Nursing. Clinical learning opportunities will also be an important part of this learning experience. Over 25 students have applied to participate in the Sweden and Australia exchanges for 2006/07. Further opportunities will be explored across the border in the US. 23

24 7.0 Supporting Our Goals - Resource Implications 7.1 Collaborative BScN program - Faculty resources As the college sites increasingly meet projected enrolments, there was an increase of more than 300% ( ) in student numbers at the University of Windsor as college students enter year 3 and Year 4. If enrolment targets for the colleges continue at the same rate the total numbers of students in the collaborative program are estimated to be ; ; ; The number of students on campus at the University of Windsor in 2009 will be 1010 nursing students. These numbers are not sustainable in terms of university facilities, university faculty and clinical placement capacity. This will have serious consequences for faculty workloads re marking and student advisement, space, course sections and additional sessional teaching, clinical placements, sessional instructors (ratio of 1:8), preceptors, library facilities, and student social space. Immediate action needs to be taken to review projected enrolments for the colleges and alternative program delivery models. 7.2 Clinical Placements The Faculty of Nursing, University of Windsor is part of a regional pilot project with UWO, the Nursing Clinical Placement System project, which will have a significant impact on nursing education in Ontario and improve the quality of clinical education. The project is funded by the MOHLTC. The availability of clinical placements is a significant issue for all Nursing programs in the province. The project addresses clinical placements for academic programs in nursing in universities and colleges across Ontario. The goal of the project is to support clinical education in Ontario through the design and planning of an improved Web- based system for clinical placements to: Better coordinate placements within regions BScN, RPN, post RN and PHCNP students). Create opportunities beyond the region for 4 th year students, 4 th semester RPN students and PHC nurse practitioner students. Ensure every available placement is used to capacity and appropriately. Provide for inclusion of non-traditional placements. Facilitate communication between clinical sites and nursing programs regarding clinical placements. Phase I assessed and identified the needs of stakeholders with respect to clinical placements and specified the functional requirements for a database to coordinate placements. The project is now in Phase II - Piloting and Implementation. 24