Baiba Zarins, Project Manager, Global Practice
University Health Network is proud to collaborate with our academic partner, Nipissing University, located in North Bay, Ontario to facilitate an innovative second degree BScN nursing program. This program is completely embedded within point of care practice settings amongst six Toronto based academic health care teaching facilities. This new paradigm of nursing education allows for students to engage in focused learner driven, narrative inquiry based curriculum of discovery model. Students act as inquirers and creators of knowledge to direct their educational experiences. Both student and faculty participate as partners to engage in learning objective collaborations, enhance scholarly practice, and promote leadership and research with an active voice in health care. Students will be immersed within point of care settings to experience the health care continuum and integral network between patient, families, health care interprofessional team and community influencers of health.
The inaugural launch is scheduled for September 6th, 2011, with the program divided into six semesters over two years. UHN expects to facilitate learning experiences for 8 to 10 students annually within our extensive array of programs and services in collaboration with a full-time UHN based SPP faculty advisor. The aim of this program is to graduate nurses who are practice ready scholar practitioners; capable of nursing within our current evolving and complex health care landscape. For program and application information please visit Nipissing University: Scholar Practitioner Program online.
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I am a nurse educator in Arizona in the U.S. You said that your program will be learner driven. Can you give me some examples of ways you will implement learner driven activities? Also, I am unfamiliar with the term
“narrative inquiry based curriculum”. I would appreciate it if you could explain that a little more.
Hi Lisa,
thank you for your inquiry about our program. The narrative inquiry, student focused pedagogy places focus on student centred outcomes through discovery, inquiring/questioning to create individualized and unique learning plans to meet each semester core objectives. This is done in collaboration with faculty advisors prior to the point of care experiences, in which students implement and refine their lerning plan. The last phase of each semester is most valuable, as student reflect, and share in their personal narratives of how they acquired the information sought within the clinical experience. NI encompases many elements, as this data can be stories, photos, art and other artifacts of meaning, derived from both the patient/client as well as the student perspective to share. Other exapmples can include: presentations, seminars, blogs, exhibits,…all which will be captured through indiviual e-portfolios to document the journey of learning throughout the two-year program. This approach goes beyond traditional didactic curriculum to one of shared lived experience and mutual learning. The program cohort is comprised of second degree, mature students who bring forth previous professional and personal knowledge to enhance their current academic goals.
Baiba,
Thanks for clarifying. Will you have the students keep a journal to use to share their narrative stories at the end of the semester? I think that may help them be able to reflect and see how much they have grown and learned during the semester. I read so much about how reflective journaling is such a wonderful tool but that the questions have to be specific and leading for this andragogy to be truly successful. What are your thoughts?
Students will use a multitude of methods to document their personal experience stories and evolving professioanl journey throughout the program; be it through diary journaling, blogs, video and art, as I mentioned above. Some aspects may be quite personal, yet we anticipate sharing stories within learning circles with student colleagues and faculty advisors alike. The creativity is endless in capturing observations, reflections, challenges and achievements in becoming a professional health care provider. We are all looking forward to the launch of this program on September 6th.
Sounds great. I hadn’t really thought of students documenting their personal experience through art or video logs. I like that idea as an educator to allow for more create outlets for students who would like that.
I had seen in your initial post that you will start with 8-10 students. I was wondering how many applicants you had and how you decided or will decide on your final candidates? What will the process of selection be like?
We are planning for 8-10 students based at UHN, but the entire program cohort will include about 40 students amongst 6 diverse urban health care organizations. Future movement of students between all organizations will result in an academic learning imersion from many perspectives. (e.g.: acute care, rehabilitation, complex continuing care, public health, etc..)
As far as the selection process, potential candidates apply to the program through Nipissing University, submitting their undergraduate transcripts, a two-page personal statement written essay and a ranked list of preferred health care organizations to base from. Subsequent second level interviews are conducted to assess the student for their understanding and fit within this unique, student needs led program. Based on all of the above information, admission decisions are made collectively by faculty advisors in collaboration with Nipissing University Admissions office.
Interesting. Will you plan to incorporate case story or reverse narrative teaching strategies to enhance the students learning. I would think these might be especially good to use if the students will be having different experiences at the various urban health care organizations.
In your original post you said that you were looking to graduate nursing students who were “practice ready”. Can you explain what you mean by that? Do you mean that they will be able to critically think, be patient advocates, and recognize when a patient is in trouble and act to help them?
Do you have issues with finding qualified educators? What are the qualifications need to teach in your school?
Practice ready means all of the characteristics you describe, plus the ability to understand the realistic environment of the health care system. Two full years of continued point of care exposure and work experience will facilitate leadership and networking to ensure a competent and knowledgable nurse. Our faculty advisors are clinicians based within each of our affiliated health care organizations who collaborate with students in their learning objectives to meet standard of practice objectives. This program is very different from traditional “teacher-student” paradigms, rather we foster a philosophy of and equal co-learning in a narrative inquiry apprenticeship model.
How many hours of point of service care will the students have? What is the average amount of time spent at facilities in that area?
Students will spend just over 200 hours per semester immersed in point of care experiences, which equates to over 1200 hours over the program of two years. These hours are in addition to 36 hours previous to the clinical and 36 hours in the reflection phase; which students can flex to further explore clinical exposures.
That’s a great development. Education, especially in the situations you explained will undoubtedly help with the real world clinical growth. Great to hear
Thanks Amy! We just launched the program today with 32 amazing future nurse scholars, who are enthusiastic to commence their professional journey.
Hi Baiba,
I’m really interested in applying to this program. I have a few questions:
-Will there be any kind of ‘information night’ where prospective candidates can speak to faculty and current students any time this year at all?
-What kind of fee structure is there for the program? I have looked at the Nipissing fee schedule and I conclude the program would cost about $2,500/semester. Am I mistaken?
- In the abscence of prerequisites for this program, how do students learn the relevant scientific knowledge they need, for example, anatomy/physiology, clinical skills?
-Who are the teachers?
Thank you in advance for your feedback!
Best Wishes.
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for your interest and questions about the Nipissing University Scholar Praactitioner Program. As this is a very non-traditional program based in narrative inquiry and cognitive apprenticeship models, students identify and meet learning needs in collaboration through direct clinical experiences, organizationally based faculty advisors and their individual learning plans to meet core program objectives for each semester. The six cross appointed faculty advisors affiliated with each organization are facilitators of the journey and not “teachers” as with traditional curricular models. Students and faculty collaborate in the process, making it a unique learning experience. Students needing specific knowledge areas pertianing to health care topics, seek out appropriate resources independently to fulfill their learning plan objectives.
This full-time only program runs continuously over 20 months, therefore the fee schedule is slightly higher, with additional fees as per university policy.
Please feel free to contact me directly at baiba.zarins@uhn.ca with any additional questions and application details.