Educational Outline Program - Essay Example

? Nursing Refresher program Introduction The nursing profession has many challenges that cause a nurse toleave the practice. Additionally, a nurse may leave the profession due to other personal reasons such as family matters. The large number of nurses who left the practice for whatever reasons is causing a severe shortage of nurses within the practice (Harmon, 2013). Moreover, the economic challenges and health care demands within the medical profession cause the department of health, and the respective hospitals to feel the impact of the shortage. Therefore, there is a recall of nurses to the practice. These nurses have been out of practice for quite some time; hence, they need a refresh of their skills. Local hospitals are opting to re-integrate the nurses back to fill the huge gaps in personnel shortages. Program goal The local hospitals are taking the initiative to facilitate the nurses who have not been practicing to integrate into work. The program thus has the goal of helping the nurses to achieve the professional practice required to work. Secondly, the program design helps the nurses develop the workplace ethical requirements and the competence levels to start working again. Therefore, the program will facilitate effectively, the integration of the nurses into the practice while covering the gap of nurse shortage within the hospital. Objectives The program has objectives that it aims to achieve at the end of the training session. The program aims to ensure that upon completing the whole course of refreshing, the nurse can practice safely and consequently be competent enough to handle and maintain critical care units such as the Intensive Care Unit without challenges. Secondly, the program bases on problem solving methodology of learning. This program is not for new entries into the practice, but rather people who practiced and left for some period. Therefore, the learning objective hopes to instill a problem solving strategy within the nurses so they can provide care within a wide range of the patient population. Lastly, the third objective of the learning process in this refresher course is to grow critical skills that use evidence based approach in assessing and managing the patients. Therefore, the program aims to expand the available knowledge of the nurses and initiate them to regain critical skills competence (Hammer & Craig, 2008). Program description The program takes into account that these nurses have the fundamental knowledge on nursing theories (Liaw, Scherpbier, Klainin & Rethans, 2011). Unlike in the student-to-nurse transition receptor program, the nurses do not have critical uncertainty issues. Therefore, the role of the program is to help them re-enter into the career successfully and with minimum interruptions. The program brings the depth of caring and the nursing insight from their previous experiences in the healthcare environment. The program further familiarizes the refreshing nurses with the new technology in use, the present management of the medical and surgical conditions and other evidence based improvements within the nursing care work. The refresher program will cater for a vast number of practitioners. It addresses areas that concern several groups of nursing personnel. Therefore, it is applicable for the following people; the first is all inactive registered nurses. Secondly, it caters for the foreign nurses who are getting ready for license exams in the country and advanced practice nurses who are reentering the workforce. It also caters for nurses who are changing specialties from a department to another, administrators and other nurse leaders who wish to update their clinical knowledge. It is an extensive program, whose implementation will assist many people and improve the healthcare service in the hospitals. Anticipatory set The setting of the course outline requires that the nurse taking the refresher program complete theory-sitting classes. The program also has incorporated practical hours in which the nurse engages in the practice. The nurse should ensure they attend at least eighty percent of the learning hours, both practical and theory classes. The learning procedure The program incorporates various units of learning. The whole refresher course takes ten weeks, with 75 hours of classroom theory and 120 hours of practical. The refresher intake is applicable at least twice a year. Training will take place within every six months. The schedule of the training will include several theory trainings that will prepare the nurses in the following areas. The units covered include, reviewing the professional roles, responsibilities and clinical judgment required in the current nursing practice. In this module, the nurses will revisit their professional expectations. Secondly, the other module will cover a description of the characteristics of the current health care service system, covering aspects of safety, quality and outcome of expectations for patients (Harmon, 2013). Through this module, the undertakers of the refreshing course will acquaint themselves with the current expectations of the nursing practice in their respective areas of working. These areas include aspects of medication and care for patients. Additionally, the nurses will also learn the bio-psychological and cultural factors that affect the patient’s health and the entire healthcare practice. Moreover, the nurses will also review critical thinking skills, and evidence based cognitive approaches in dealing with patients. The theory will activate the nurses’ senses in highlighting the change initiative in the working environment. It will also establish the aspects of team behavior, communication skills, problem solving skills and understanding other people’s points of view. The nurses will re-establish their connection with the requirements of the practice through these theory classes. The second part of the refresher course will take 120 hours of clinical practicum. The practical section will serve to familiarize the nurses with the expectations in the actual field. The course outline in the practical section covers topics of demonstrating nursing interventions that include pharmacological principles and safe practices of medication. Secondly, the nurses will practice on areas of applying the nursing process in planning and giving care to patients with selected, special medical conditions. Other additions will cover practical hands-on experience of treating the patients, dressing and conducting physical assessments. Therefore, the whole exercise in the practical classes will help the nurses to re-establish their experience in actual working (Hammer & Craig, 2008). The practical classes also improve and update the nurses on various approaches to developing working situations. Conclusion The nursing profession is quite competitive. Similarly, the expectations on the nurses are remarkably high (Hammer & Craig, 2008). Therefore, with this practical refresher course program for nurses, the local hospitals, as well as, the health care sector will manage the wide gap of nursing personnel shortage. This refresher program offers the opportunity to former practicing nurses to become useful in their area of profession. References Liaw, S. Y., Scherpbier, A. A., Klainin-Yobas, P. P., & Rethans, J. J. (2011). A review of educational strategies to improve nurses' roles in recognizing and responding to deteriorating patients. International Nursing Review, 58(3), 296-303. doi:10.1111/j.1466- 7657.2011.00915.x Harmon, L. M. (2013). Rural model dedicated education unit: Partnership between college and hospital. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 44(2), 89-96. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20121217-62 Hammer, Victoria R, EdD,M.N., R.N., & Craig, Gloria P, EdD,M.S.N., R.N. (2008). The experiences of inactive nurses returned to nursing after completing a refresher course. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 39(8), 358-67. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223315619?accountid=35812 Read More