Development and implementation of the Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course in Vanuatu.

Townsend, L; Lock, L; Havery, C; Rumsey, M; Tasserei, J

Development and implementation of the Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course in Vanuatu.

Townsend, L Lock, L Havery, C

Rumsey, M

Tasserei, J

Permalink

Publisher:: Rural and Remote Health
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Rural Remote Health, 2022, 22, (1), pp. 6543
Issue Date:: 2022-01

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Published versionAdobe PDF (333.72 kB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Townsend, L
dc.contributor.author	Lock, L
dc.contributor.author	Havery, C https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6755-4839
dc.contributor.author	Rumsey, M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6899-1486
dc.contributor.author	Tasserei, J
dc.date.accessioned	2022-02-07T03:08:05Z
dc.date.available	2022-02-07T03:08:05Z
dc.date.issued	2022-01
dc.identifier.citation	Rural Remote Health, 2022, 22, (1), pp. 6543
dc.identifier.issn	1445-6354
dc.identifier.issn	1445-6354
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/154241
dc.description.abstract	CONTEXT: Vanuatu, a Pacific Island nation in the Western Pacific region, has to date educated its nurses by diploma program. Research evidence in developed countries has consistently shown that nurses educated by bachelor degree improve patient health outcomes and reduce hospital length of stay. In seeking to improve health outcomes, the Vanuatu Ministry of Health decided to introduce a new Bachelor of Nursing degree to provide a skilled, safe nursing workforce for the provision of health care to its peoples{1-3}. The curriculum for this degree was to be developed by Ni-Vanuatu nurse educators with the collaboration of educators from the WHO Collaborating Centre, University of Technology Sydney. However, it was first necessary to upgrade (from diploma to bachelor level) the qualifications of teachers and senior nursing practitioners who would lead the new degree course by introducing a Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course. ISSUES: In order to design and implement a Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course that would be relevant for the educational and healthcare context in Vanuatu and that would meet qualification requirements of the local regulatory bodies, it was essential to build collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in Vanuatu. A second key concern was to design a program that would cater for participants who were working full time, who were not all living in the same physical location, and who had limited access to internet technology and resources. The course also needed to take into account that participants were multilingual, and that English was not their first language. LESSONS LEARNED: Lessons learned included the importance of coming to understand the sociocultural nexus within which this course was developed and implemented, as well as appreciating the constraints that affect nursing education within the Pacific.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Rural and Remote Health
dc.relation.ispartof	Rural Remote Health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.22605/RRH6543
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1110 Nursing, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1303 Specialist Studies in Education
dc.title	Development and implementation of the Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course in Vanuatu.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	22
utslib.location.activity	Australia
utslib.for	1110 Nursing
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1303 Specialist Studies in Education
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Teaching and Learning)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - WHO CC
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/WHO Collaborating Centre
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-02-07T03:08:04Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	22
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

CONTEXT: Vanuatu, a Pacific Island nation in the Western Pacific region, has to date educated its nurses by diploma program. Research evidence in developed countries has consistently shown that nurses educated by bachelor degree improve patient health outcomes and reduce hospital length of stay. In seeking to improve health outcomes, the Vanuatu Ministry of Health decided to introduce a new Bachelor of Nursing degree to provide a skilled, safe nursing workforce for the provision of health care to its peoples{1-3}. The curriculum for this degree was to be developed by Ni-Vanuatu nurse educators with the collaboration of educators from the WHO Collaborating Centre, University of Technology Sydney. However, it was first necessary to upgrade (from diploma to bachelor level) the qualifications of teachers and senior nursing practitioners who would lead the new degree course by introducing a Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course. ISSUES: In order to design and implement a Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course that would be relevant for the educational and healthcare context in Vanuatu and that would meet qualification requirements of the local regulatory bodies, it was essential to build collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in Vanuatu. A second key concern was to design a program that would cater for participants who were working full time, who were not all living in the same physical location, and who had limited access to internet technology and resources. The course also needed to take into account that participants were multilingual, and that English was not their first language. LESSONS LEARNED: Lessons learned included the importance of coming to understand the sociocultural nexus within which this course was developed and implemented, as well as appreciating the constraints that affect nursing education within the Pacific.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/154241