Accelerated Perioperative Nursing Education-

Pilot projectInternational Alliance for Perioperative Best Practice

ORNAC 23rd National & International Conference with IFPNApril 21-25, 2013

©E.J. Ahlquist 2013

Educational Programs are never static.

◦ Ie. SIAST Perioperative Nursing Program↳Operating Room Techniques Program

Drivers or emerging trends effect educational design.◦ Practice◦ Environment◦ Need◦ Technology◦ etc

Establishing Perioperative Nursing Programs:International Perspective

Outline Background

Program Overview

Project Design

Results

Lessons Learned

Educational Change

Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative (SSI)Sooner, Safer, Smarter

◦ Surgical wait time is a key concern for patients and families.

◦ Goal to reduce wait times to less than 3months by 2014.

◦ Staged approach to reduction: <12 months, <6months, and <3months.

Context

SIAST developed a proposal to provide additional educated Perioperative Nurses in an expedited fashion.

Collaboration with the Saskatoon Health Region and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.

Highly successful◦ Zero attrition◦ Timely response to industry demand

Response to need

2 intakes per academic year (fall and winter).

1. Fall intake of 6 students2. January intake of 12 students

Provincial demand for graduates spiked.◦ Provincial expectations◦ Shift toward standardized education◦ Utilization of Operating Rooms capacity

provincially

Program Overview

Learning Method:

6 theory courses delivered by distance (asynchronous online).

5 day psychomotor skills lab. 10 weeks of clinical practice.

◦ 4 weeks of SIAST instructor led.◦ 6 weeks of preceptor led.

Program Overview

Project Design

Traditional“Pilot Project”

Asynchronous online theory.◦ 23 weeks theory.◦ Full-time employment.◦ SIAST Instructor.◦ Students online

activities. Ie. SKYPE™

◦ 5 day psychomotor skills lab.

◦ 10 week clinical.

Modified delivery schedule:◦ ⇓theory to10weeks.◦ Salaried while studying.◦ Saskatoon Instructor.◦ Learning activities

hybridized.◦ 5 day psychomotor skills

lab.◦ 10 week clinical.

Project Design cont…

Clinical Sequencing

Complicated ◦ Macro level provincial needs.◦ Unpredictable nature of requests.◦ Managing partnership.◦ Quality assurance.

Established schedules◦ Two traditional clinical sessions.◦ Balanced recruitment.◦ Managing intake locations.

Clinical Sequencing

Secondary effects Expansion of clinical education locations. Enhanced standardization of education.

RISK of becoming to Urban-centric. Enhanced or new relationships with Regional Health

Authorities. Opportunity…

Clinical Sequencing

Clinical Sequencing

Clinical Sequencing

Clinical Sequencing

Findings Previous online

learning experience. Demonstrated

computer literacy. Onsite orientation. Sufficient time. Positive feedback on

IT support. #1: Instructor support.

21 graduates.◦ Attrition rate: 0%Therefore…

◦ Employment: 100% Student satisfaction.

◦ 100% of respondents would recommend this approach to peers.

◦ 70% felt the length of time was sufficient. Most respondents wanted longer clinical education,

not theory. High academic performance.

◦ 88.8% average.

Results

1. Expensive!

2. Complicated.

a. Organization.

b. Responsibilities.

3. IT support.

4. Program support.

5. Selective screening.

Lessons Learned

Not an effective long-term strategy. Expensive to deliver.

◦ Salary replacement◦ Instructor time intensive

Funding was provided for an annual increase in programming.

Long-term projections of need.◦ Retirement◦ Maternity leave◦ Internal “churn”

Awards/Recognitions◦ SAHO Green Ribbon◦ SHEA finalist

Outcome

Special Thanks

Drivers or emerging trends effect educational design.◦ Practice◦ Environment◦ Need◦ Technology◦ etc

Establishing Perioperative Nursing Programs

There is continual changes in the clinical practice environment.

Ie. Incremental changes Transformational changes

Practice

Incremental Change

Transformational Change

Institutional policies reflect this approach.◦ Minor Revision◦ Major Revision

Funding for change reflect policies.

Opportunities…

Change

Many changes can occur in the educational environment.

Ie. Leadership Physical location Culture Advances/changes

Environment

A range of events or circumstances can effect the need for change in education.

The “need” identified in this project.◦ Ministry direction effecting increased graduation

rates.

Need

The INTERNET.◦ Mainstream◦ Shapes our daily lives (ie. Texting, calendars,

mobile maps, etc)◦ Distributed learning◦ Massive Online Open Courses (ie. edX)◦ Mobile learning

Applications (Apps)

Technology

http://programs.siast.sk.ca/instrumentor/

Instrumentor tm

Mobile TSUNAMI. Students all have smart-phones.

◦ Integrated into daily lifeTotal Active Apps (currently available for download): 845,911 Total Inactive Apps (no longer available for download): 300,040Total Apps Seen in US App Store: 1,145,951Number of Active Publishers in the US App Store: 226,514

Mobile Learning

Most Popular Categories1 - Games (142,136 active)2 - Education (90,861 active)3 - Entertainment (75,655 active)4 - Lifestyle (68,963 active)5 – Books (55,823 active)

Mobile Learning

Instrumentor tm

Instrumentor tm

Instrumentor tm

Web based Application. Portable and compatible with multiple

devices. ◦ Ie. Desktop, laptop, tablet, smart-phones, etc

Next step in the “evolution” of distance education.

Students are familiar with using Smart-phones.

Prototype stage- testing with end-users◦ Ie. Students, health professionals, etc

Instrumentor tm

Features: Canadian Content High resolution images Close-up images of instruments Laparoscopic instruments

◦ Types◦ Assembly

Audio pronunciation Authentic presentation

Instrumentor tm

Instrumentor tm

Design: End user focus.

◦ Need vs Directed◦ Grass-roots vs Top-down

Authentic presentation.◦ Images, backgrounds, etc◦ Audio pronunciation◦ Minimized information overload

Self-assessment of learning.◦ Matched assessment to level of learning

Instrumentor tm

Innovative educational approach.

Responding to expressed need.◦ Ie. Out-dated and poor resolution images

Dynamic resource.◦ Updated images- 3D◦ Video◦ Additional graphics

Instrumentor tm

Instrumentor tm

Education is never static.

There will be continuous drivers for change.◦ Incremental or transformational

Open and Mobile education is here to stay.

The focus of any educational program needs to be on meeting the needs of learners.

Conclusion

Thank you!!

Questions, Comments, Discussion