SIAST Nursing Division Newsletter Fall 2013

Nursing News n Psychiatric Nursing degree program a first in the province n Degree program welcomes first class of students to Swift Current n Partnership in nursing education delivers online master’s program n Nursing alumni gather in Moose Jaw for homecoming weekend n Students volunteer in rural Kenya medical clinic

fall 2013

Published by the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Nursing Division

n Message from the dean

Collaboration - Finding new ways of working together A common theme among the numerous recent successful initiatives embraced by the SIAST Nursing Division is that of effective collaboration. Our faculty and staff have worked together within their teams and across organizations to achieve collaborative solutions for the benefit of our students.

We celebrated an unprecedented achievement – the launch of our inaugural degree program at SIAST – the Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing (BPN) program. The BPN program is not only the first degree program for SIAST, it is also the first psychiatric nursing degree program in Saskatchewan.

Students no longer have to leave our province to complete their degree; they can do so in their home province and in their home community using distance technology. The collaborative efforts that culminated in the approval to offer this degree program spanned across the entire organization, with tireless efforts from the Psychiatric Nursing program team, as well as partners external to SIAST.

SIAST and the University of Regina capitalized on the success of their collaborative partnerships and celebrated another unprecedented accomplishment – the signing of a memorandum of agreement to offer the Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program (CNPP), leading to a Master’s of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) degree. This type of collaborative partnership between a college and a university to offer master’s programming is the first of its kind in Canada.

We were excited to celebrate the official launch of the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program in Swift Current. Our eight Swift Current students are delighted to have the opportunity to engage in nursing education close to home, where they have the support of family and friends. This initiative was established as the result of collaboration across four organizations that found new ways of working together - the University of Regina, Great Plains College, Cypress Health Region and SIAST.

We are finding new ways to engage with our nursing alumni across the province. Our inaugural Nursing Alumni Reception provided an opportunity to celebrate alumni’s contribution to the profession of nursing as leaders, clinical experts, educators and researchers. We celebrated their invaluable contribution to the education of our students in their role as preceptors and mentors.

Increasingly, technology is supporting online collaboration and providing opportunities to connect with colleagues or for students to access education from a distance.

Through ongoing collaboration and teamwork, we will continue to achieve success.

Netha Dyck, RN, EdD Dean, SIAST Nursing Division

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SIAST Nursing Division Leadership Team

Table of contents Message from the dean

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SIAST announces degree in Psychiatric Nursing

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Online Practical Nursing program begins annual intake

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SCBScN students volunteer in Kenya

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SIAST welcomes nursing alumni

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Institutions partner to deliver Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program 7 SCBScN program welcomes first Swift Current class

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SIAST nursing programs and services

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Cover photo - SIAST President and CEO Dr. Larry Rosia (left) and SIAST Dean of Nursing Dr. Netha Dyck (centre) accept Certificate of Authorization from Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris (right) to grant Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing degree.

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SIAST Nursing Division Psychiatric Nursing Program Team n Providing advanced education

SIAST announces degree in Psychiatric Nursing

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IAST launched Saskatchewan’s first Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing program this fall. The new program prepares registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) with advanced knowledge and skills in roles related to clinical practice, leadership, management, education and research.

“Approval of this degree is a game-changer,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, SIAST president and CEO. “It recognizes our capacity for program and curriculum development, and it acknowledges the demand that exists for increased levels of applied learning – our area of expertise.”

The program launch SIAST’s Psychiatric “Graduates of the program will be prepared to follows a change in Nursing diploma program meet the challenges of an increasingly complex legislation that allows institutions other than the remains the entry to mental health system, and will have the knowledge province’s two universities practice, but the new to offer baccalaureate degree program expands and skills to provide leadership in improving opportunities for RPNs psychiatric nursing practice,” says Dr. Netha Dyck, programming. in the mental health field.

At the official launch SIAST’s dean of Nursing.

“Graduates of the program ceremony in September, will be prepared to meet Dr. Rosia recognized the efforts of three people who were the challenges of an increasingly complex mental health system, particularly instrumental in the rigorous program development and and will have the knowledge and skills to provide leadership in approval process: Provost and Vice President, Academic Arnold improving psychiatric nursing practice,” says Dr. Netha Dyck, Boldt; Dean of Nursing Dr. Dyck; and Psychiatric Nursing Program SIAST’s dean of Nursing.

Head Sue Myers.

Through partnerships with other institutions, SIAST has many years The process was intensive and comprehensive. In May 2011, the of experience in baccalaureate education, but this is the first degree Ministry of Advanced Education approached SIAST and inquired as credential on SIAST parchment. to whether SIAST was interested in putting forth a degree proposal. › Continued on Page 4

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n High demand in online education

Online Practical Nursing program begins annual intake

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eginning in September 2014, SIAST’s online Practical Nursing program will move to an annual intake of 14 students. The program currently accepts 14 students only every two years. The increased capacity for the online program will provide more students with access to education where they live.

The change is in response to a high demand for the online program, which saw 120 applicants vie for the 14 available seats this year. “We are excited to be offering it every year now, and we are definitely responding to the needs that we are seeing in our applicant pool,” said Program Head Billy-Jo Howe. The additional seats will also provide increased access for part-time students.

Enrolment in the program is particularly sought by students who must manage multiple roles in their personal lives, thus necessitating flexible study schedules. Many choose online to accommodate their family responsibilities or employment. For many students, it is difficult to relocate for the entire length of the two-year program. Because of the experiential nature of the program, students temporarily relocate to one of SIAST’s three main campuses in Regina, Prince Albert or Saskatoon for clinical practice education. Practicums are usually completed in Saskatoon

or Regina, and labs are completed in Regina on designated weekends each semester.

As with the on-campus Practical Nursing program, the online diploma program is 68 weeks in duration, requiring two years to complete. It is an intense program, and studying via online delivery requires special skills. “It’s important for students to assess that they have the ability to learn via distance,” said Howe. “They need to be very self-directed and motivated, and have the ability to problem solve and to assume responsibility for their own learning.” Faculty provide student support by telephone or online and are dedicated to helping students succeed.

The on-campus Practical Nursing program is offered at SIAST campuses in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert, in brokered agreements with 10 regional colleges and three Dumont Technical Institutes throughout the province, and in partnership with the Kawacatoose First Nation. With varying numbers of intakes each year, the program has a total provincial seat capacity of 385.

When the online and on-campus programs are successfully completed, graduates receive a diploma credential and are qualified to work in a variety of health care settings, where they are important members of the health care team. n

SIAST announces degree in Psychiatric Nursing, continued The first phase of SIAST’s quality assurance process objectively demonstrated the need for more educated psychiatric nurses in the provincial system. The labour market analysis substantiated the need for baccalaureate-prepared psychiatric nurses.

The second phase examined SIAST’s organizational capacity to deliver degree programs. “An external expert panel scrutinized SIAST’s capacity and readiness as an organization to deliver a degree program,” Myers said. “They examined all aspects such as financial, library resources, student services, registration processes, physical space, and scholarship and research capacity.

The external panel conducted a site visit in December 2011, and made several recommendations.”

Acting upon these recommendations, SIAST was ready to conduct the third phase, a program review. “This was an extensive self-evaluation of all elements of the proposed curriculum and program delivery,” said Myers. The evaluation enlisted external reviewers who were experts in psychiatric nursing education in other provinces to ensure the most informed assessment possible.

After making the necessary adjustments, all indications were positive; the administration proceeded with its proposal and finally earned the right to award the SIAST degree.

The Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing degree completion program

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is delivered online, making it accessible to RPNs where they live and work. A diploma in psychiatric nursing is a prerequisite for entry into the program. The degree completion program designed for SIAST Psychiatric Nursing diploma graduates prior to 2010 (and diploma graduates of other post-secondary institutions) is two-and-a-half years in length. The degree completion program designed for SIAST diploma graduates is two years in length. Upon completion of the degree program, graduates will be awarded a Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing.

For Myers, it is essential to bring new, qualified psychiatric nursing graduates into the workforce, as soon as possible.

“Mental health issues are everywhere: the community, the medical units and the surgical units,” she said. “If you look at health holistically, how can you not address mental health? This is about increased opportunities to positively impact psychiatric nursing practice and, whether it’s in management, education or research, that’s what we’re providing.”

For SIAST as a whole, the new program is an auspicious beginning. “This is the first degree that will be offered on a SIAST parchment,” said Rosia. “It will not be the last. We will develop degrees where there is a need for that depth of programming, in areas where we are subject matter experts, and where the focus will be on applied learning.” n

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n Assisting the global community

SCBScN students volunteer in Kenya

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askatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) students Rosalyn Summach and Nicole Webb wanted to apply their knowledge and skills to help people abroad, but they did not want to wait until they had earned their degrees to begin their humanitarian efforts.

So, from the end of July until the end of August, the two students used a break from their classes to spend five weeks volunteering in a medical clinic in rural Kenya, and the experience would change their understanding of health care and the role of culture in human health.

Service to the community is important to nursing education, and altruism was a strong reason for Webb and Summach’s eagerness to donate their time and expertise to help Kenyan patients.

“Volunteering has always been something close to my heart,” said Webb. “Now that I am in nursing school, what better way to share my knowledge than volunteering?”

The international experience also promised to advance the SCBScN students’ education and understanding of Saskatchewan health care in a global context. “We figured that we have it pretty good here with our health care system,” said Summach, “but we wanted to see how, in a different country, their health care was different from ours.”

Although the two students spent some time in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, (and even frequently made calls to Canada from the Westgate shopping centre, a mall that would become the scene of a politically-motivated massacre on September 21), the majority of their service was performed in a more remote setting.

In a region that was a two-hour drive from the capital and populated by the semi-nomadic, pastoral people known as the Maasai, they lived with a nurse named Peninah. Peninah lived, and hosted the two students, in the same small clinic where she treated patients. Fortunately for the two Canadians, their host was quite willing to answer their questions regarding her practice and the local culture.

SCBScN students Rosalyn Summach (left) and Nicole Webb (right) spend five weeks in rural Kenya volunteering in a medical clinic.

Canadians’ surprise, none of the patients complained of infection resulting from the practice.

However, the use of manure in the construction of Maasai homes created the constant presence of flies in their living spaces.

Furthermore, because the locals were so accustomed to the presence of such parasites, they would allow the insects to crawl across their bodies and faces. As a result, the most frequent maladies that the students encountered were eye infections called trachoma, which would often cause blindness if left untreated.

By contrast, the Maasai valued oral hygiene, and, through the use of twigs as toothbrushes, maintained excellent dental health.

By practising health care in a very different part of the world, Summach and Webb gained invaluable insight into the social determinants of public health. Although a traditional form of medicine is still practised in the area and is usually the first recourse in treating health issues, many of the Maasai clients would walk for hours to seek Western medical advice. Such trips were unpleasant and strenuous, making Western medicine a less practical option.

Whatever the initial cause of an ailment, the students were often stricken by the role that access to health care played in its progression and transmission. AIDS may garner international attention, but any HIV epidemic in the area would have gone unnoticed and untreated by the clinic because testing was unaffordable. A neglected tropical disease like trachoma could have easily been halted by early application of antibiotics.

One frequent concern for the two students was the omnipresence of feces and its impact on human health in the area. Whether performing a circumcision on either sex or making an incision to stretch their earlobes in the manner distinctive to the culture, the Maasai applied fresh cow manure as an antiseptic and, to the

Despite the frustrations they encountered, both Summach and Webb agree that their time volunteering in Kenya was an amazing adventure. They may have traveled abroad to assist others, but the people they met throughout their journey and the lessons they learned certainly enriched their own lives. n

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Pediatric nurses and SIAST alumni Alice Trusty and Kerry Yaschuk (left) have a conversation with Dean of Nursing Dr. Netha Dyck (right) at an alumni reception at Moose Jaw Union Hospital.

—Times-Herald photo

by Nathan Liewicki

n Maintaining relationships

SIAST welcomes nursing alumni

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IAST Nursing Division treasures its alumni, and as such was delighted to host a special celebration at the beginning of SIAST’s Alumni Homecoming weekend at SIAST Palliser Campus in Moose Jaw to honour them.

The special event provided an opportunity to celebrate SIAST’s many distinguished nursing graduates and thank them for their tremendous contribution to nursing students, patients, families and communities.

Dean of Nursing Dr. Netha Dyck and Associate Dean of Nursing Cindy Smith were thrilled to greet the alumni and express appreciation for their invaluable support and mentorship of nursing students. The informal format of the reception provided an ideal occasion to meet, network and communicate.

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“A large part of nursing education is the practice education experiences in the clinical agencies, so the support the alumni provide our students — either as preceptors or just welcoming students into their units — is invaluable,” said Cindy Smith.

Smith added that alumni serve to maintain an organization’s history and institutional memory, and to demonstrate the kind of careers that students can earn through their education. “One of the alumni who attended graduated back in 1977, 36 years ago,” Smith said.

“That’s remarkable.”

The informal format of the reception provided an ideal occasion to meet, network and communicate.

Held at Moose Jaw Union Hospital, the event was planned to make it convenient for working alumni to attend. Rather than make the trip to SIAST Palliser Campus, nurses could simply stop by during, before, or after their shifts at the hospital. Nursing alumni enjoyed refreshments, received gift bags full of fun and useful souvenirs, and had the chance to win one of two door prizes (a Kindle or an alumni hoodie).

Although the first event of its kind specifically for Nursing graduates, the experience was encouraging for its organizers. “I think it was valuable and we had a nice turnout,” said Smith. “We hope that this will be an annual event.” n

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CNPP project team, left to right: SIAST CNPP Program Head Joyce Bruce; U of R Associate Dean of Nursing, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research Dr. Laurie Clune; U of R Provost and Vice President Academic Dr. Thomas Chase; SIAST Provost and Vice President, Academic Arnold Boldt; U of R Dean of Nursing Dr. david Gregory and SIAST Dean of Nursing Dr. Netha Dyck.

Photo courtesy University of Regina Photography

n Forging new partnerships

Institutions partner to deliver Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program

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he province of Saskatchewan has distinctive health care needs, and two of its major educational institutions, SIAST and the University of Regina (U of R), are helping to address those needs through a new collaborative graduate degree that will be the first of its kind, not only between the two educators, but throughout Canada. On October 21, 2013, SIAST and the U of R formalized their strong academic partnership by signing a memorandum of agreement to create an innovative joint master’s program: the Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program (CNPP), which will award its graduates a Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) degree.

SIAST and the U of R each have their own strengths, resources, and respected faculties, and this collaboration is intended to draw on both to deliver a highly specialized graduate degree. The CNPP will blend nursing theory and practice within the framework of primary health care, community development and health promotion.

Interprofessional collaboration with health care providers and patients is an essential component of the program.

The initiative is designed to improve access to advanced practice nurses throughout the province with the goal of easing the burden on patients and more specialized primary care practitioners. “Nurse practitioners can diagnose illness conditions, prescribe medication, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and make treatment plans to manage the health problem,” said Joyce Bruce, program head, SIAST. “A nurse practitioner would manage conditions like pneumonia and bronchitis that can be treated within the community or chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure that are fairly stable, and then, if the problem is beyond

that nurse practitioner’s capabilities, the case would be referred to a physician or a specialist.”

Due to the province’s highly rural population distribution, many communities rely on resident nurses to prevent costly and time-consuming trips to larger urban centres for health care.

“These nurses are improving access to health care for vulnerable populations,” says Laurie Clune, associate dean of Graduate Programs and Research, Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina.

“These nurses can service their communities and manage most health and wellness issues due to their advanced knowledge, skills and expertise.”

It was therefore important that the CNPP provide efficient, remote delivery. The program can be completed online in two years through full-time enrolment or in four years through part-time study. Graduates of the CNPP will then be eligible to write the national nurse practitioner exam and earn the status of registered nurse (nurse practitioner).

Previously, SIAST offered its own advanced certificate program, but that credential did not adequately reflect the education of its holders. “Our SIAST program was one of the first in Canada to be a nurse practitioner program, but most nurse practitioner programs are now at the graduate level,” said Dr. Netha Dyck, dean of Nursing. “Nurse Practitioners play a central role in primary health care and our Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) degree program will provide registered nurses with a graduate education that will prepare them to assume this role in Saskatchewan.” n

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University of Regina Dean of Nursing Dr. david Gregory (left) and SIAST Dean of Nursing Dr. Netha Dyck (right) welcome the first class of Swift Current SCBScN students.

n Increased access to education

SCBScN program welcomes first Swift Current class

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wift Current’s first class in the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program received an enthusiastic welcome to open this year’s fall semester. To mark the occasion, the eight students were greeted by representatives from SIAST, Great Plains College, Cypress Health Region, the University of Regina and the provincial government.

The SCBScN program is jointly offered by SIAST and the University of Regina. It provides students with the opportunity to benefit from the nursing expertise of both the SIAST Nursing Division and the University of Regina’s Faculty of Nursing.

The Swift Current students have been provided with a unique opportunity to access baccalaureate nursing education in their home community for the entire four years of the program, made possible through a partnership between Great Plains College and the Cypress Health Region. Eight students will be accepted each year. Through

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this multi-institution collaboration, the program will provide the class with an education that pairs real-world nursing experience with academic excellence. Teaching methods are leading-edge, using a blended learning approach that includes face-to-face instruction, seminars, interactive video, online, lecture capture and simulated learning in the lab at Cypress Regional Hospital and in the newly renovated lab at Great Plains College. Clinical practice education, which comprises approximately 50 percent of the program, is offered at the Cypress Regional Hospital and at various sites and community agencies throughout the Cypress Health Region.

The goal of the partnership is to provide more students in smaller Saskatchewan centres with the opportunity to earn what has previously been available only in Regina and Saskatoon. When they complete the program, the students will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and will be eligible to write the national registration exam. n

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Nursing SIAST Nursing Division delivers innovative and relevant nursing and health education, generating and disseminating knowledge through scholarship and interprofessional collaboration.

Degree programs

• Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing •C ollaborative Nurse Practitioner Program (offered in collaboration with the University of Regina) •N ursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS) (offered in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan) •S askatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) (offered in collaboration with the University of Regina)

• Diabetes Mellitus: Classifications and

Diagnosis • Insulin Therapy in Diabetes Management • Oral Anti-hyperglycemic Agents in Diabetes Management

Post-degree advanced certificate program

Diploma programs

• Mental health courses • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

• Primary Care Nurse Practitioner • Practical Nursing • Psychiatric Nursing

Nurse re-entry programs

• Nursing Re-entry • Practical Nurse Re-entry • Psychiatric Nursing Re-entry •O rientation to Nursing in Canada for Internationally Educated Nurses

Post-RN and -LPN advanced certificate programs • Basic Critical Care Nursing • Critical Care Nursing • Perioperative Nursing/LPN • Perioperative Nursing/RN

Health sector education programs •D iabetes Education for Health Care Professionals advanced certificate •D iabetes Education for Health Care Providers applied certificate •O ccupational Health and Safety Practitioner applied certificate •O ccupational Health and Safety Practitioner certificate

• Mood Disorders • Psychosocial Assessment • Psychotropic Agents • Schizophrenia • Therapeutic Communication Skills

• Practical Nursing Certificate to Diploma program • Foot Care: Principles and Practices course • Leadership and Management in Perioperative / Medical Device Reprocessing course • Principles of Nursing Practice for Outpatient Procedures course

Health sector continuing education • CPR and First Aid courses • Medical Device Reprocessing courses • Occupational Health and Safety workshops • Safety Training for Supervisors

• Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Train the Trainer • WHMIS Train the Trainer

• Transferring, Lifting and Repositioning (TLR™)

Services offered

• Aboriginal Nursing Student Achievement Program (ANSAP) • Exam preparation • Simulation learning at SIAST Kelsey • Canadian Nurse Practitioner Exam Campus, SIAST Kelsey 4th Ave Centre, Preparation Tutorial SIAST Wascana Parkway Centre, SIAST • Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam Wascana Campus and SIAST Woodland Preparation Workshop Campus • Canadian Registered Nurse Exam • Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) Preparation Workshop Assessment Centre •B ridging option to Practical Nursing • Campus nurse practitioner services at program for Continuing Care Assistants SIAST Wascana Campus • Diabetes education courses

Nursing continuing education

Dean’s office 306-659-4082 Basic Critical Care Nursing 306-775-7575 CPR/First Aid 306-659-4193 or 306-659-4083 Critical Care Nursing 306-775-7575 criticalcarenursing@siast.sk.ca Nursing Continuing Education programs and courses 306-775-7689 or 306-775-7789 nursingconed@siast.sk.ca Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner 306-659-4193 or 306-659-4083 ohsinfo@siast.sk.ca Orientation to Nursing in Canada for Internationally Educated Nurses 306-775-7573 Perioperative Nursing 306-775-7575 perioperative@siast.sk.ca Practical Nursing, Prince Albert 306-765-1740 Practical Nursing, Regina 306-775-7571 practicalnursing@siast.sk.ca Practical Nursing, Saskatoon 306-659-3790 Primary Care Nurse Practitioner 306-775-7335 pcnp@siast.sk.ca Psychiatric Nursing 306-775-7354 Re-entry Programs and Diabetes Education 306-775-7573 SCBScN and NEPS, Saskatoon 306-659-4085 SCBScN and NEPS, Regina 306-775-7766 www.gosiast.com/nursing www.sasknursingdegree.ca

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