Distance Learning Nursing Refresher: Helping Nurses Reconnect with Healthcare!

1. Distance Learning Nursing Refresher:Helping Nurses Reconnect with Healthcare! 2005 Regional Workshops

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. Project Partners (continued) • Advisory 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

10. Project Web Site http://nurserefresher.austincc.edu Includes: • All project development information • Portal to BlackBoard • Student information & forms • Preceptor information & forms • College information & forms

11. Demo of Project Web Site http://nurserefresher.austincc.edu

12. Didactic Lab Preceptorship 112 hours 72 hours 16 hours Review of basic med/surg nursing knowledge & skills RN supervised patient care experience Skills A Typical Refresher Course

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. Provider VCT Host Virtual College of Texas (VCT) • makes reservation • registers student • provides certificate & transcripts • pays provider • “owns” course • teaches course • documents student’s completion • is a “utility” of TX colleges • online catalog/schedule • student tracking

20. Didactic Lab Preceptorship Host/Provider Model (VCT) As a Host (with ACC providing) As a Provider (without ACC)

21. Demo of VCT Web Site www.vct.org

22. 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

23. 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.

24. 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

25. 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

26. Project Contacts Kirk White, RN, MSN Executive Director ACC Workforce Development Center 512-223-7535, kwhite@austincc.edu