Professional Mobility Course
Ball State University
Abstract
The course, NURS 208 "Transition from LPN to BSN," would be offered primarily as an asynchronous learning experience on the World Wide Web with opportunities for synchronous chat with fellow learners and with the instructor. For licensed professional nurses, this course would serve primarily as a transition course to the completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree leading to licensing as a Registered Nurse. It would also serve as an introduction to the world of on-line continuing education opportunities and, through an option, in itself give continuing education hours for selected course modules. Total project expenses are $22,313.25, $12,500.00 contributed by Indiana State University and the ISU School of Nursing, and $9,813.25 requested from the IPSE Course Development Grant Program.
Narrative
1. -2. Need to be addressed and learners to be served
The primary audience for this course is licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who wish to start work on a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and desire to gain credit for prior learning and experience in practical nursing. There are approximately 1,000 graduates of LPN programs each year and currently an estimated 24,439 LPNs in Indiana (personal communication, Indiana Health Professions Board, Sept. 1999). While there are at least 18 educational programs in Indiana for LPN to associate degree in nursing (AD/ADN) as well as 17 programs offering advanced placement in nursing, there are very few programs specifically for LPNs to obtain a baccalaureate and no LPN transition course is currently offered by distance education.
In 1995 the influential Pew Health Professions Commission recommended decreasing AD and increasing BSN graduates. The baccalaureate degree offers leadership skills, nursing management, community health, and prepares the student for graduate work in nursing. These skills and the opportunities associated with them will increase in importance as technological and patient health complexity grows and as hospital beds are eliminated. The 1998 Pew Commission Report noted beginning nursing shortages in acute care settings, and recommended both a greater proportion of RNs be trained beyond the associate degree level and that schools of nursing expand career mobility options. The ISU School of Nursing (SON) has worked to initiate an on-line RN to BSN option through the DegreeLink program and for many years has granted advanced standing through a transition course for LPNs in the AD program. The proposed course provides an opportunity for LPNs to consider completion of the baccalaureate degree.
This course would assist LPNs to consider the level of education needed for their professional and life goals. Even if the decision is made not to pursue the baccalaureate, the skills learned in the course can be used to earn continuing and regular educational credit through distance education. The skills learned by actually becoming familiar and comfortable with a course delivered over the Internet would increase the student's ability to complete education by distance. The nontraditional student would be given the opportunity to "try out the academic waters" without relocating or commuting long distances.
The course will also be offered with an option for continuing education credit for some modules/units. Students will be offered an option for 4 to 6 hours of continuing education each for 7 modules of the course by an agreement with the ISU SON Continuing Education. Deb Barnhart, Director of the Nursing Continuing Education program, will serve as a consultant for continuing education certification and reviewer of the on-line course.
3. Rationale for Course and Technologies
Each year in the United States 700,000 practical nurses are licensed and almost immediately begin jobs to support themselves and their families. This employment, often the primary source of income, cannot be interrupted for more education without substantial hardship. Even "testing the waters" by beginning the initial course in many RN programs causes substantial disruption in their busy lives. An asynchronous course designed to assist LPNs in thinking out options, time management, and the costs and benefits of baccalaureate education would promote career mobility without the life disruption of traditionally scheduled and geographically situated classes.
The course goals for this transition course are supported by the asynchronous format. The on-line environment allows these busy nontraditional adult learners to have access to flexible and convenient learning and career mobility options. Electronic networking can also provide a discussion forum and a support group for the intimidating step of pursuing further education. This peer support for educational advancement is not available in many work environments. Sorting options and problem solving through group discussions will provide a collaborative and supportive structure for these adult learners to critically assess the accommodation needed to reach their educational goals. Presentation of short vignettes and case studies will prompt these discussions.
4. Institution's capacity and commitment
The letter included in the appendix from the Dean of the School of Nursing and from the Chair of the Associate Degree Nursing demonstrates support for the project faculty and the need for this distance education offering. Marketing of the course will be assisted by recruitment efforts through the School of Nursing Office of Student Affairs and the Continuing Education in Nursing Program. The University provides assistance and support to the RN-BSN program as part of the DegreeLink initiative.
ISU has actively assisted faculty to develop distance education courses. The project director has completed the University's Course Transformation Academy and subsequently developed an asynchronous on-line course about the use of computers (informatics) in health care (Fine, 1998). In creating that course, assistance was received from Instructional Designer Paula Holder and the staff of the Faculty Computing Resource Center (FCRC). The University's Center for Teaching and Learning also presents a number of seminars and discussions about pedagogical challenges encountered with on-line education. The faculty involved in the proposed course frequently benefit from these seminars. The University is committed to continued support of faculty in creation of on-line courses, including instructional and graphics design through Continuing Education/Instructional Services (CEIS), computer assistance (FCRC), and videography and video editing through Media and Technology Resources. The School of Nursing has furnished equipment to assist faculty in implementing on-line courses, such as a digital camera, a scanner, and other computer equipment.
5. Instructional design and delivery plan
The course will be presented in weekly modules. Even in the asynchronous environment, weekly deadlines encourage timely and meaningful participation in discussions and assist in the formation of the asynchronous learning network (ALN) community. Course learning objectives include:
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application of concepts of role transition,
-
comparison of LPN and BSN roles,
-
discussion of adult learning principles,
-
utilizing effective communication skills,
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demonstrating critical thinking in patient care planning, and
-
developing a personal plan for completion of a baccalaureate in nursing.
This course will use a Web-based courseware called CourseInfo. This courseware environment offers access to on-line discussions, chat rooms, WWW links, e-mail, and testing. The courseware will track student access to course pages and which pages are visited. This feature provides both a formative and summative evaluation tool. Multimedia may be delivered in the courseware. Links to external Web resources will also serve to enrich student learning.
6. Instructional design serving the needs of LPNs
This will be, for the majority of the students, the first experience with either distance or on-line education. Although the advantages of asynchronous on-line learning seem obvious, the unfamiliarity with a new learning environment may be intimidating. A written orientation module will be sent to each student prior to the initial class with a telephone number for questions and assistance. A videotape demonstrating the basics of computers and the CourseInfo environment will also be available to students before and during the initial week of the course. A series of recommendations and suggestions coaching the student about how to complete the course will be included. Telephone contact will be encouraged until the student feels comfortable with e-mail and the on-line environment.
Moving from structured simple exercises to more unstructured collaborative group problem solving and discussion encourages the formation of community, crucial to student completion of on-line courses. One of the strengths of the asynchronous on-line environment is allowing students who would not normally contribute to discussions, due to competition and time constraints, to both manufacture well-thought-out discourse and to better understand group dynamics (Wegerif, 1998). Questions, case studies and vignettes will be used to initiate threaded discussion. Weekly short self-evaluations and instructor monitoring of discussions will check for student problems and whether students have succeeded in joining the social circle of the ALN. Weekly modules with objectives to check off will assist the learner initially to feel comfortable in the new environment and will supply a supportive scaffolding for the new on-line learner. The instructor will model discourse initially. Later in the course, smaller group exercises in problem solving and a group project will assist students in gaining facility in using the on-line environment.
7. Course evaluation plan
Formative evaluation: Peer and student evaluation will be completed for the initial pilot module and then for selected modules by on-campus students during the semester before the course is offered on-line. Information will be used to revise the course. Anonymous student evaluation of the course will be completed on-line during week 3 and week 8. Weekly feedback from students will be gathered through short forms, e-mail and telephone contact, and by monitoring student discussion forums. Evaluation of student learning outcomes will be by on-line pre- and post-testing and by evaluation of on-line discussions and completed projects.
Summative evaluation will include student course evaluations and selected student telephone interviews. Evaluation of course effectiveness will include both immediate student evaluation of the course and faculty and evaluation by students after a period of one semester. Results of all evaluations will be used to further revise the course for future delivery. Information from the evaluations, particularly evaluation of the effect of strategies used in building an ALN social community, will be presented to other faculty through WinterFest and the Course Transformation Academy. These outcomes and those of the on-line transition course for LPNs will be submitted for publication to journals in nursing education and to local and national conferences where the project director has previously presented, including the National League for Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International, the national honor society of nursing.
8. Peer review and interinstitutional acceptance
Nursing faculty with experience in offering on-line courses would provide peer review for the course. One faculty member from a practical nursing program will also review the course.
D. Barnhart, Director of Continuing Education in Nursing Program, will evaluate course modules for nursing continuing education hours according to the standards of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Continuing education hours, accredited by the ANCC, are accepted nationally to fulfill either facility or State Board of Nursing requirements for professional continuing education.
10. Marketing plan
The ISU School of Nursing Student Affairs office schedules visits to numerous hospitals each year to recruit students for the RN completion and for the current LPN to ADN transition course. The new on-line course would be marketed through these visits, and through visits to IVY Tech LPN programs. Through the DegreeLink initiative, information is being disseminated to all IVY Tech LPN programs about which courses can be transferred and will fulfill general education requirements for baccalaureate programs to assist these students in educational mobility. Regional DegreeLink coordinators actively recruit students in LPN programs and will disseminate information about the course.
The professional association of LPNs will be contacted about the availability NURS 208 and arrangements will be made to advertise the course at the annual state convention. A direct mailing advertising the course for continuing education and university credit will be sent approximately 2 months before the course is initially offered on-line. This brochure will be prepared and sent through the Nursing Continuing Education Office. The brochure will include a description of the course, contact numbers, and a WWW page url describing the course.
11. Project schedule
The course, Transition from LPN to BSN, will
be initially offered during the Spring Semester of 2001, and the project will
be guided by the timeline below. January,
2000: Notification of grant awards.
February-May, 2000: Complete marketing plan and begin
marketing course to target audience.
February-May, 2000: Plan course and implement first module
and orientation materials.
June, 2000: Peer and student review for usability and
critique of first module and orientation materials.
July-August, 2000: Complete implementation of course with
revisions from initial module critique.
August-October, 2000: Pilot test selected course modules with on-campus LPN
students. Critique by D. Barnhart , consultant for nursing continuing education
and application to American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for CEUs.
November-December, 2000: Revise as needed. Complete recruitment
of target audience via direct mailing and WWW.
January, 2001: Offer entire course on the WWW.
May, 2001: Summative evaluation by participants and by
course development personnel. Identify revisions.
June, 2001: Revise course. Prepare results for presentation
and publication.
September, 2001: Offer course on an ongoing basis.
December, 2001: Follow-up evaluation by initial participants.
Course revisions based on ongoing and initial participant evaluation. Analyze
results, write publications.
12.
Development personnel
Julia M. Fine, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nursing at ISU School of
Nursing. Dr. Fine will serve as project director and teach the course. She has
taught the Transition from LPN to ADN course for three years, initially developed
the ISU School of Nursing WWW pages, and created and taught a WWW delivered
course on healthcare informatics, the first such course in the ISU School of
Nursing.
Deb Barnhart, RN, MSN, has been the Director of Continuing Education in Nursing Program and Assistant Professor at ISU School of Nursing for 13 years. One of her primary responsibilities is to ensure that all criteria are met for maintaining accreditation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She developed the Nursing continuing education web page at ISU and has attended the Course Transformation Academy.
Additionally a Course Development Team will be formed. The team will consist of the primary instructor, an instructional designer, videographer and video editor from Media and Technology Resources, and development personnel from the Faculty Computing Resource Center. Don Kaufman, ISU Instructional Designer, will serve as Project Manager, coordinating the resources utilized in the design and development of the course.
References
Fine, J. M. (1998) Health informatics. Sketches of Innovators in Education: A Collection of Articles on Teaching with Technology. (pp. 45-47). Terre Haute: Indiana State University.
Pew Health Professions Commission. (1998).Recreating health professional practice for a new century. San Francisco: Author.
Wegerif, J. B. (1998). The social dimensions of asynchronous learning networks. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 2, (1). [Available: http://www.aln.org/alnweb/journal/vol2_issue1/wegerif.htm ]
Curriculum Vitae for Julia Melissa Bearden Fine
Education:
6/90-8/97 Ph.D. The University
of Texas at Austin, Graduate Studies in Nursing
9/86-5/89 M.S.N. Indiana University, Indianapolis, Major: Perinatology.
9/77-12/80 B.S.N.(with high honors) The University of Texas at Austin
1/70-8/70 B.A. The University of Texas at Austin, Major: Anthropology
Academic
Employment:
8/95 –present Assistant Professor, Indiana State
University School of Nursing
9/89-5/92 Adjunct Clinical Instructor: Indiana State University
School of Nursing
8/89-5/90 Instructor, Indiana Vocational Technical College,
Terre Haute, IN.
Courses
Taught:
Introduction to Healthcare Informatics (N400X/500X). (Internet)
Transition L.P.N. to R.N. (N150)
Nursing of the Childbearing Family (N115)
Certification,
Licensure:
R. N. Indiana, Maryland(inactive), and Texas (inactive).
L.V.N. Texas Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners (inactive).
Grants:
1998 Lilly Faculty Associate, First Year Courses
1998 Julie Fine (PI), Debra Luegenbiehl, Patti Jones:
First Year Experience for Nursing Majors, $1000,Lilly First Year Experience,
Lilly Project, ISU.
Selected
Publications & Computer programs:
Fine, J. M. (1998). Health informatics. Sketches of Innovators in
Education: A Collection of Articles on Teaching with Technology. (pp. 45-47).
Terre Haute: Indiana State University.
ISU School of Nursing Web pages:(http://web.indstate.edu/nurs). Site includes faculty listing with research interests, nursing curriculum and course offerings, introduction to ISU nursing clinics, continuing education in nursing, and pictures of ISU facilities and students. 1996-1998.
Fine, J.M. (1996). “NSCat: Nurses' Story Catalog for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95.” Database for collection of nursing stories. [Computer program].
Fine, J.M. (1995). “Nurses' Story Catalog.for Macintosh.” Database for collection of nursing stories.[Computer program].
Budget Page and Narrative
It is estimated that an intensive 8 weeks will be needed by the project director to produce an on-line 3 credit hour course. Course review and consultation for nursing continuing education credit through the American Nurses Credentialing Center will take 2 ½ weeks at $200 per day. Fringe benefits are calculated as 11.65% of salary.
Videotaping of “An introduction to the world of on-line education for nurses” will require studio time, animation and video editing to produce a quality 45 minute video. This video will serve as an orientation to all nursing students interested in taking asynchronous Internet courses and will be available to students of this transition course and to students entering the RN-BSN track through DegreeLink.
|
Item |
Funding Source |
Total |
|
|
|
IPSE |
ISU |
|
|
Project Director’s Salary |
6,079.00 |
|
6,079.00 |
|
P D Fringe Benefits |
708.00 |
|
708.00 |
|
Phone calls, postage |
200.00 |
|
200.00 |
|
Course review consultant fees for ANCC Continuing Ed |
2,500.00 |
|
2,500.00 |
|
Consultant Fringe Benefits |
291.25. |
|
291.95 |
|
Instructional Designer ($50/hr for 100 hours) |
|
5,000.00 |
5,000.00 |
|
Graphic Designer ($25/hr for 40 hours) |
|
1,000.00 |
1,000.00 |
|
Computer Specialist and support personnel ($30/hr for 100 hours) |
|
3,000.00 |
3,000.00 |
|
Video studio time ($200/hr for 3 hours) |
|
600.00 |
600.00 |
|
Video editing ($150/hr for 10 hours) |
|
1,500.00 |
1,500.00 |
|
Animator ($35/hr for 40 hours) |
|
1,400.00 |
1,400.00 |
|
Tape reproductions (10 tapes) |
35.00 |
|
35.00 |
|
Total |
9,813.25 |
12,500.00 |
22,313.95 |
Not included in the budget is equipment usage considered as in-kind contribution such as a digital camera, scanner and HTML editor and other software and hardware supplied by ISU and the ISU School of Nursing.
