Revitalizing Nursing EducationSharon Vasuthevan

NEA 2009 Conference

Discussion Points

• Concepts

• The Burning Platform

• Clarity

• Managing Change

• Collaboration

• Leadership

• Conclusion

Concepts

• Ignite– To cause to burn.– To set fire to.– To subject to great heat, especially to make luminous by heat.– To arouse the passions of; excite

• Revitalize– To impart new life or vigor to – To make more lively or active – Restore strength – Regenerate/renew - reestablish on a new, usually improved,

basis or make new or like new;

The Burning Platform

• Common wisdom is that you need a “Burning Platform” to cause change.

• A burning platform describes a crisis so painful that you are forced to act.

• The classic image is that of an offshore oil rig on fire. The prospect of jumping into the ocean is so perilous that the workers won’t jump until it’s clear that remaining on the rig means certain death.

Burning Issues

• Nursing shortage• New qualifications• Lack of midwives• Status of nursing

colleges & schools• Changes in education• Economic downturn

Burning Issues

• The ability to identify “burning” issues” and separate them from the routine challenges of the day will have a great effect on our willingness to accept change

• Learning anxieties are the basis for resistance to change • Survival anxieties, in contrast, are those painful

realizations that in order to succeed, we have to change. • Survival anxiety is greater than learning anxiety.

A GOOD CRISIS SHOULDN’T BE WASTED!

Opportunities for Revitalization

• Clarity

• Change Management

• Collaboration

• Leadership

• Nursing Activism

Clarity

• Have a vision of the end result

• What do we collectively want in nursing?

Clarity

• Do we have absolute clarity on our burning issues?

• Do we have a clear vision of our nursing education system

• Do we know what it is going to take to train an adequate number of nurses for our healthcare services?

• Is the training of enrolled midwives urgently necessary?

Focus

Nursing Resources

Quality practice

Success

Crystallize the issues

• Keep asking questions

• Check understanding

• Prioritize

• Have a game plan in terms of tackling issues

• Win the battle and the war

Change Management

What got us here, won’t get us there!

Change is disruptive

• Control became an issue• Fears are raised• Opportunities seen

Previous State

CurrentState

Effects of Change on Nurse Educators

Optimism

Shock

Denial

Anger Bargaining

Testing

Acceptance

Adapting

TIME

Nursing Qualifications

Future State

Previous State

CurrentState

Managing ChangeTowards a new nursing

education system

Collaboration

Unity of Effort

Collective action does not mean homogeny

Get Organized

• Share current information

• Lobby on relevant issues

• Make representations to top level persons

• Protect our interest• Encourage

participation

Information is power!

Be at the cutting edge!

• Education issues• Practice issues• Healthcare issues• Global issues

Get involved

• Present papers• Write about your

experiences• Set high standards for

yourself• Share success stories• Engage in research• Recognize good work• Strive for excellence

Leadership

3 Ts

• Nursing Leadership– Talent– Training– Trenches

If you stop learning,

you stop leading

Nursing Activism

• Hot and cold on nursing issues – rehashing the same issues

• Someone else job to take forward

• Too busy with activities

Nursing Activism

• Be moved to act on an individual, institutional, country basis

• Everyone should be an activist for nursing• Have a set of principles to which you

strongly adhere• Have an opinion or position on issues• Take a standCHANGE OURSELVES FROM ACTIVITIES

TO ACTIVISM!

Future Vision for Nursing

Conclusion

Making a Difference in Nursing Education

Doing different things

and

Doing things differently

Thank You