Promoting and Supporting a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program of Scholarship

BACKGROUND

Mentoring in the context of the faculty-student relationship can be one in which each benefits. Creative approaches are warranted to help discriminate the boundaries between the student and the teacher as a mentor, which are often ill-defined and blurred given the high-stakes summative assessments of performance.

METHOD

Six specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based (SMART) goals were established for a mentor and mentee relationship spanning a 2-year period based on a vision for building a program of scholarship. Weekly mentoring sessions were used to monitor progress toward goal attainment.

RESULTS

While completing the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, the mentee expanded professional networks, obtained funded fellowships, expanded knowledge and skills related to the substantive area of scholarship, and disseminated that work through professional presentations and publications coauthored with the mentor.

CONCLUSION

Cognizant of the boundaries between course-related products and professional presentations and publications, the goal-driven mentor-mentee relationship is transformational to both. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(9):526-530.].

The Royal College of Nursing's quest to improve recruitment

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses a recent report by the Royal College of Nursing calling for the Government to change the system of funding for nurse education.

The Afya Bora Fellowship: An Innovative Program Focused on Creating an Interprofessional Network of Leaders in Global Health

PROBLEM

Most current health professions education programs are focused on the development of clinical skills. As a result, they may not address the complex and interconnected nature of global health. Trainees require relevant clinical, programmatic, and leadership skills to meet the challenges of practicing in an increasingly globalized environment.

APPROACH

To develop health care leaders within sub-Saharan Africa, the Afya Bora Consortium developed a one-year fellowship for medical doctors and nurses. Fellows from nine institutions in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa participate in 12 learning modules focused on leadership development and program management. Classroom-based training is augmented with an experiential apprenticeship component.

OUTCOMES

Since 2011, 100 fellows have graduated from the program. During their apprenticeships, fellows developed projects beneficial to their development and to host organizations. The program has developed fellows' skills in leadership, lent expertise to local organizations, and built knowledge in local contexts. Most fellows have returned to their countries of origin, thus building local capacity. U.S.-based fellows examine global health challenges from regional perspectives and learn from sub-Saharan African experts and peers.

NEXT STEPS

The Consortium provides ongoing support to alumni through career development awards and alumni network engagement with current and past fellow cohorts. The Consortium expanded from its initial network of five countries to six and continues to seek opportunities for geographical and institutional expansion.

The Petitions Committee and how a signature can lead to change

Hannah Smith, Second Year Student, MA Nursing (Adult), University of Salford, discusses her experience of visiting the Houses of Parliament and how petitions are changing health care.

The nursing associate: a welcome new member of the NHS family?

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses the Nursing and Midwifery Council's announcement that it will regulate the new nursing associate role.

Program Evaluation of a Nursing Workforce Intervention: The Maryland Nurse Support Program II

A nursing workforce initiative in Maryland sought to graduate additional nursing students to become registered nurses and to increase the number and preparation levels of nursing faculty. Between FY 2006 and FY 2015, nearly $100 million was awarded through 109 competitive institutional grants at 27 nursing programs across the state; 950 faculty received awards through fellowships, scholarships, and grants. Maryland's nursing workforce intervention increased the number of graduates by 27% through this decade-long program. Although Maryland outperformed the nation in the rate of increase of registered nurses, there is still a projected state shortfall of 12,100 nurses by 2025. It is imperative for nurse researchers and nurse leaders to address the future nursing and nurse faculty workforce shortage using effective strategies based on empirical evidence and evaluation of outcomes. This program evaluation informed the decision to continue investments in the nursing and faculty workforce (up to $75 million) for an additional 5 years.

Addressing the Cost, Value, And Student Debt in Nursing Education

The current initiatives to improve the academic preparation of nurses have added emphasis to the presence or prediction of thousands of dollars of debt, which may influence personal decisions about returning to school. In this study, nearly 40% of survey respondents reported less than $25,000 in college debt and 23.5% reported greater than $25,000 of prior college debt. Slightly less than a third of respondents reported no plans to return to school for more education but of those who did have an educational plan, the influence of prior college debt on their plans for academic progression was significant. Debt and the influence of debt on education planning for nurses was confirmed as a concern that will impede achievement of the baccalaureate education benchmark for nurses unless steps are taken to address prior college debt and the cost of further education. Nurse executives should take nurses' debt load into account when planning academic advancement initiatives.

What will 2017 hold for the nursing profession?

Education and training Nurse education will see huge changes in 2017. Most radical is the controversial end to bursaries for nursing students in England. From September, funding will come through the tuition fees and student loans system instead, a government move that led to mass protests in 2016.

Stand up to cutbacks

This has been a turbulent year for the NHS and the future is not looking bright. Junior doctors have closed ranks and gone on strike over better working and pay conditions while highlighting patient safety is at risk.

Activism can help your career

Danielle Tiplady says her involvement in student activism has broadened her understanding of her patients' lives: 'Now I have more of an idea of how austerity has affected them.'

The future doesn't have to be bleak with loans

The switch from bursaries to loans did not come as a shock to many universities. The status quo - continuing with student bursaries to support nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals - was not a viable option in the current financial climate.

Length of service proposal to reduce student debt

How much graduate nurses repay their student debt could be linked to length of service in the NHS, a nursing expert has said.

Getting over the bursary blues

The decision to scrap bursaries will discourage people from applying for degree courses.

Now Hunt's back in the job, here's the top issues he needs to address

Jeremy Hunt is back in his office at Richmond House, home of the Department of Health in London, for the foreseeable future - and against expectations. Even he must have thought that his time was up. Attention will now focus on what he should do next given his new lease of life, so here's what Nursing Standard would like him to tackle first.

Charging fees to nursing students is a non-starter

The extent to which nursing students in England are struggling to get by while pursuing their professional dream has been laid bare thanks to a Nursing Standard investigation. Our survey reveals that more than 6,500 have received hardship grants totalling £5.2 million from universities over the past three years, with some turning to food banks and other sources just to survive.

Hunt fiddles with his phone, while nurse education bursaries burn

Earlier this month, I sat in the gallery of the House of Commons watching the parliamentary debate over proposed government changes to nurse education funding. This was a phenomenal moment for the #bursaryorbust campaign, highlighting how we are being heard.

Your life in the balance sheet--accounting for bursary cuts

Duncan Hamilton is on deferment, studying Adult Nursing at the University of Surrey, returning in 2016. He is President, University of Surrey Students' Union society for nursing, midwifery and operating department practice

Parallels between the Development of the Nurse Practitioner and the Advancement of the Dental Hygienist

Dental hygienists have often been described as the registered nurses of the dental field. Similar parallels also exist between the development of the nurse practitioner from the nursing profession and the evolution of the dental hygiene practice and profession. This article explores 3 major similarities between the professions of nurse practitioner and dental hygienist. Public health issues, educational constructs, and the social and political environments shaping each profession are discussed to inform dental hygienists of their potential career options for future expanded therapeutic care roles.