Event Opens Dialogue on Hot Topic...Baccalaureate at the Community Colleges?

Arizona Nurse,  Jan 2005  by Armstrong, Gayle

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Gayle Armstrong, RN, BSN, Special Projects Coordinator, AzNA

AzNA and the State Board of Nursing, in partnership with and largely funded by a grant through the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, sponsored a Day of Dialogue on November 16 to discuss the nursing community's response to the proposal for a six-year pilot program allowing community colleges in Arizona to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees in nursing. Rep. Russell Pearce introduced an amendment to this effect twice in the 2003-2004 legislative session. Understanding that this might be considered controversial, over 75 nurse leaders and other stakeholders from across the state met to discuss this important issue.

Sue Roe, RN, DPA, was the lead facilitator of the discussion. She used the technique of "storyboarding", which is a process designed to elicit the maximum number of ideas from participants related to identified issues. Categories or themes were developed through this process. The goal was to capture a common voice from Arizona's nurses to communicate to the legislature when this legislation is introduced in the future.

Attendees focused on two overarching questions. The first was "As a nursing community, should we increase the number of nurses and baccalaureateprepared nurses in Arizona?" The answer was "yes" - Arizona needs to increase the number of nurses and baccalaureate prepared nurses. The second question was "Should this be accomplished at the community colleges, some other delivery mechanism, or both?" Attendees acknowledged that there may be better ways to approach nursing education than already in place. With that they indicated the following essential elements:

* Remain student centered

* Find existing data and/or develop new data to accurately drive the decision making process

* Partner among educational institutions, healthcare delivery systems, legislators, and other key stakeholders to achieve mutually agreed upon goals

* Utilize appropriate indicators/ benchmarks as markers of success

* Identify and communicate with decision-makers

* Employ an aggressive timeline for action

The group recommended starting now with existing funds. They also felt that strategies should involve multiple approaches including:

* Activities that would strengthen articulation from associate to baccalaureate degree programs

* The development and pilot testing of new models as demonstration projects

* The exploration of solutions being applied in other fields to learn about and use their "best practices"

The results from the Day of Dialogue will be available in mid-January as a "white paper". After input from nursing and other key stakeholders in the community, a position paper will be developed and distributed.

The Day of Dialogue stimulated all attendees to think about the many issues raised. Certainly discussions launched will last far beyond the November meeting. This is not just about the nursing shortage in Arizona-it is about how nursing education can and must respond to meet the needs of Arizona's current and future health care system and its citizens.

Copyright Arizona State Nurses Association Jan 2005
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