Arizona nursing connections: Conclusion of AzNA's Practice Grant

Arizona Nurse, Jul 2001

Key events for the project were the historic first meeting of the joint faculties from around the state in 1996. Dr. Afaf Meleis attended the meeting and acted as facilitator for the meeting. Dr. Meleis came again in 1997 to facilitate the development of a joint curriculum to be taught at all member institutions. May 2001 will mark the first group of HC graduates from community colleges. In December 2001, NAU will graduate the first group of HC students at the baccalaureate level. Evaluation of the project and its effectiveness will be the next step in the progression.

What are the major accomplishments of the project?

There are many major accomplishments for the HC project. The first is the uniqueness of the consortium itself; nurse educators from six distinctly different nursing education programs working together to design a better way to educate nurisng students. The second is a joining curriculum divided into three levels. Level one is the first year of the curriculum, level two is the second year, and level three represents the upper division course work needed to complete the BS degree. Levels one and two are taught at all institutions. Level three is taught by NAU. Community colleges allow exits at levels one (LPN) and two (ADN). NAU allows exit only at the end of level three.

Students graduating from this curriculum at community colleges can move directly into the upper division course work at NAU without any repetition of content. Their lower division courses give them the theoretical knowledge base to practice holistically within their scopes of practice as each exit level, and to proceed smoothly into the upper division curriculum. They can then complete the BS degree in one calendar year.

The curriculum uses Meleis' `Transitions Model', a nursing model based on holistic concepts. This allows students at all levels of education to learn a theoretical basis of nursing and enhances critical thinking and decisionmaking skills at all levels. This process is believed to encourage more associate degree graduates to continue on to earn baccalaureate degrees. Initial reports from community college HC members is that more than a third of their May 2001 graduates plan to pursue the BS degree at NAU. This number is expected to increase even more as the partnership progresses.

What insights did you gain that you might share with Arizona nurses?

The major insight is that working together can be mutually beneficial and fun. The HC created a broad support system among members and a forum for discussing issues and concerns offecting all of the programs. The first step is to develop trust and collegiality. The shared goals of the HC are to improve nursing education in the state and to increase the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in rural areas where the need for them is so great Once trust and mutual goals were establishe, the programs could work together for the benefit of students and the residents of the state who will ultimately gain from this educational partnership. The process has not been easy, but it is definitely worthwhile.