The Nursing Directorate
Nursing Strategies
BC's Nursing Strategy for 2007/08
Introduction
Since 2001, the government of BC has invested $174 million to educate, recruit and retain Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs), and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). This year’s BC Nursing Strategy provides education and support for front-line unit managers, an expanded undergraduate nursing program to support student nurses on work-terms, support to increase the number of Aboriginal nursing students and graduates in BC and ongoing integration of nurse practitioners into the health system.
Education
Undergraduate Nurses (UGNs) Education
Health Authorities (HAs) will employ third and fourth year nursing students in supernumerary positions. This program has operated in two HAs since 2001/02 and was successfully expanded to all HAs in 2005/06. This funding will sustain this valuable program for 2007/08. A three-year evaluation study identified that UGNs in this program are more likely to stay in the HA.
UGN Program for difficult to Fill Areas
This new program builds on the successful undergraduate nurse program and will educate student nurses in specialty areas such as emergency rooms and the OR.
New Graduation Internship Program
This funding supports building and consolidating clinical competencies for new graduates in specialized clinical settings. The focus is on difficult to fill speciality positions.
Provincial Post-Basic Rural Acute Care Nursing Speciality
This funding supports implementation of a provincial, practice-driven, rural-focused, post-basic nursing education speciality certificate program, including the use of technology based education for nurses in remote areas.
Recruitment
Aboriginal Nursing
Projects were selected by a Request for Proposal (RFP) process that focused on recruitment and retention of aboriginal and non-aboriginal nurses in aboriginal communities. This strategy focuses on recruiting aboriginal youth into the nursing profession, supporting recruitment or retention projects for aboriginal and non-aboriginal nurses to practice in aboriginal communities and supporting the development of health promotion and disease and injury prevention materials for aboriginal communities. For details see Aboriginal Nursing Strategies.
Return to Nursing Initiative
Individual grants are provided to qualified under-employed and non-practising Canadian and internationally educated RNs, RPNs, and LPNs already living and working in BC. These grants allow them to complete refresher, qualifying and English courses in order to re-enter the nursing workforce. For more information see: Return to Nursing Initiative.
Nurse Practitioner Expansion
Health Authorities were supported to expand the implementation of the role of Nurse Practitioners and increase the number of Nurse Practitioners in areas of need identified by the Health Authorities. For more information see: Nurse Practitioner.
Nurse Practitioner Innovation
Vancouver Coast Health Authority was supported to hire five Nurse Practitioners for roles in the Emergency Department at St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital, Downtown Eastside Integrated Clinical Housing Support Team, and communities of Bella Bella, Ocean Falls and Klemtu. Fraser Heath Authority was also supported to hire two Nurse Practitioners in Agassiz primary care clinic.
Retention
Geriatric Emergency Network Initiative and the Acute Care Geriatric Nurse Network (AGNN)
This education and support program is designed for emergency nurses to improve the care of acutely ill older adults in Emergency Departments (EDs) in BC. The project led by Fraser Health Authority was piloted in 2005/06 and was expanded throughout the province in 2006/07.
Nursing Leadership Initiative
The BC Nursing Leadership Institute at the University of British Columbia provides education and mentoring for front-line nurse leaders identified by the health authorities. This program was developed using a university-based curriculum to prepare Registered Nurses for unit based, leadership or management positions.
Front-Line Leadership
This funding is part of the Ministry’s commitment to increase front-line nursing leadership and support nurses’ education in leadership in each health authority.
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