Consortium approach for nurse practitioner education

Abstract

In 1995, a 10-university consortium approach to deliver a post-baccalaureate primary care nurse practitioner programme funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health was launched throughout Ontario, Canada. A combination of traditional and distance teaching methods, in English and French, were used. A 5-year research project was initiated to evaluate the entire programme, the effect of nurse practitioners on patient and health-care system outcomes and examine practice patterns. Participants included deans and directors (n = 10), regional co-ordinators (n = 5) and course developers, some of whom were also course professors (n = 8). This article is a report of the evaluation of the consortium programme after the first year from the perspective of groups involved in implementation and delivery. Results of qualitative analyses of participant perceptions from researcher-led focus groups and asynchronous electronic interviews provided the framework for the evaluation, and revealed the rationale for the consortium method, strengths, limitations and recommendations. Sharing ideas, resources and delivery and increased student access in remote areas were perceived as positive outcomes. Limitations included the short time period to develop programme content, identify and plan for distance education resources, and too little communication between universities and students. Researchers concluded that the consortium approach was effective for nurse practitioner education. Key factors identified for programme planning were communication, resources, curriculum and workload. Included among the recommendations was to allow sufficient time for role and course development before beginning a similar programme.

Education of Advanced Practice Nurses in Canada

“…The Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN), a consortium of 10 nursing faculties, developed the COUPN PHCNP Program, which began in the fall of 1995 (Andrusyszyn 1999;Cragg et al 2003;DiCenso et al 2003;van Soeren et al 2000). Funding for the program was provided by the Ontario government and came with a requirement that the program be offered at the post-baccalaureate level.…”

“…Still, creative solutions to the challenge of access to specialty education have emerged that may have wider application. For instance, the consortium distance model to education used by COUPN has proven to be an effective approach to PHCNP education in Ontario (Andrusyszyn et al 1999;Baxter et al 2009;Cragg et al 2003;van Soeren et al 2000van Soeren et al , 2003. Such a model could be adapted and applied to address other education needs including specialization.…”

University Collaboration in Delivering Applied Health and Nursing Services Research Training

“…On the other hand, challenges to inter-university education-related collaborations include differences in institutional values and culture; rivalry among participating institutions; fear of losing institutional identity and autonomy; establishment of an effective program governance structure; unwillingness to challenge the status quo; lack of financial advantage for participating institutions; differences in faculty approach and philosophy; concerns about maintaining program quality; unexpected complexity of communication requiring additional work for faculty and staff and frequent travel to collaborative sites; underestimation of the time required for course development, approval and program administration; reticence to use distance education technologies; and logistics associated with off-site delivery, setting admission standards and fees and meeting accreditation standards (Cragg et al 2003;Holden-Lund et al 1991;Short and Stein 1998;Stein and Short 2001;van Soeren et al 2000).…”

“…The benefits of inter-university collaborative academic programs include enhancement of curricula and overall program quality; maximization of limited resources and elimination of unnecessary duplication; increased accessibility and flexibility of academic offerings to students; shared decision-making, broader communication and development of trust among inter-university faculty members; increased opportunities for faculty professional development; and a shared vision and cohesive voice for participating universities (Holden-Lund et al 1991;Offerman 1997;Prideaux et al 2000;Stein and Short 2001;van Soeren et al 2000).…”

Growing an innovative faculty‐driven management team in a distance‐delivery NP education program: Thinking outside the box to meet the nursing education and health needs of northern British Columbia, Canada

“…The problems are greater in universities situated at a distance from larger urban centers, where amenities of metropolitan areas are seldom available. A number of approaches have been taken to address these human resource issues, among them, the creation of consortia amongst schools to share faculty and teaching resources (Cragg, Doucette, & Humbert, 2003; van Soeren, Andrusyszyn, Laschinger, Goldenherg, & DiCenso, 2000). While such approaches extend educational resources, they bring with them numerous challenges, including planning and development, length of time to establish trust, and building and maintaining collaborative relationships (Cragg et al, 2003; Lund, Tate, & Hyde‐Robertson, 1998).…”