faculty focus
Re-educating nurses
Charles Sturt University is offering customised degrees to nurses who are re-entering the workforce after absences of ten years or more. By Aileen Macalintal
Nurses need additional study to allow them to reenter after a long absence.
For nurses who have not been registered or practiced as a nurse for ten or more years, a pre-service nursing degree such as Bachelor of Nursing is necessary. Dr Marg McLeod, associate head of CSU School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, emphasised that the Nurses Dr Marg McLeod and Midwives Board of Australia requirements for tightening nursing workforce re-entry criteria are primarily about the protection of the public.
“ It is vitally important for nurses and midwives who have not worked in industry for a number of years to source re-education programs. Work practices in health care environments are constantly changing, in response to research findings, which guide contemporary evidence-based practice,” McLeod said.
Nurses temporarily leave the profession for varied reasons. Some pursue other types of work or study.
“ Others leave because shift work is unattractive, sourcing work which offers more conventional hours,” she said.
“ Given that the professions of nursing and midwifery continue to be dominated by women, a number leave because they find it difficult to balance work and family responsibilities, despite the flexibility offered by many industry employers.”
For nurses who have been‘ away’ for around ten years, they can expect a lot of changes to have been made to the industry.
“ Nurses will find that the pace of work has increased, with patient acuity higher and the average length of stay lower. They may find the scope of practice for their profession has changed, finding themselves unprepared for additional clinical responsibilities,” said McLeod.
The new technologies that routinely support clinical and administrative functions can be daunting for those who have been away from the health care environment for some years.“ They may also find that acute care delivery has moved outside the hospital environment to general practice, community health care settings and people’ s homes.
CSU offers support through customised education plans in its nursing degrees, for many nurses who have been out of practice, especially those from the rural and indigenous communities.
“ Nurses and midwives who have not worked in clinical settings for some years must learn about new practice requirements and standards, to ensure that the care they provide is appropriate and safe. Re-education is all about risk management,” she said.
CSU provides distance education of pre-service and postgraduate nursing education. It offers flexibility with enrolment in individual subjects, however any clinical subjects that need to be taken require attendance at residential schools and workplace learning experiences.
McLeod said the university is committed to assisting nurses and midwives re-enter their professions and the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health has the capacity to be responsive to individual requirements.
This agency provides detailed advice on re-education requirements for an approved program of study.
“ Once nurses or midwives have consulted with AHPRA, they should contact CSU and a representative from the
SNMIH will devise an individualised education plan, based on the information previously provided by AHPRA,” she said.
Each education plan will be based on subjects already available in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing and midwifery programs.
“ Those on individualised education plans will be enrolled as associate students. When each student has completed and passed all subjects in their approved study program they will be able to supply AHPRA with their academic transcript for consideration.”
“ Still, nurses and midwives should also expect to be supported when they reconnect with industry, where opportunities and requirements for continuing professional development( CPD) have increased, with many online CPD programs now available from either work or at home,” she said.
Nurses who have not been registered for a decade or more may complete an undergraduate degree which CSU offers both on campus and by distance education. n
More information on nursing courses or subjects at CSU is available at www. csu. edu. au
www. campusreview. com. au May 2013 | 27