New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a three-year, $994,741.00 grant from the Human Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to research "Nursing Education Masters and Post Masters Certificate Program Enhancement." The project's overall purpose is to increase the number, diversity, and competencies of graduates of the NYUCN Nursing Education MS and Post MS Certificate Programs who will be available to teach diverse nursing students and graduate culturally competent RNs.
"HRSA has noted that there is a severe shortage and lack of diversity among nursing faculty in the US, particularly among persons of Hispanic/Latino heritage," said NYUCN's Associate Dean of Academic and Clinical Affairs Barbara Krainovich-Miller, EdD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, ANEF, FAAN. "This shortage threatens the overall integrity of the nation's health care system. In order to meet Healthy People (HP) 2010 National Goals (NG) I and II requires a sufficient number of diverse and culturally competent nurse educators (NEs) to teach future RNs."
Central to developing diverse, culturally competent NEs, in sufficient numbers, requires a paradigm shift from NEs using traditional didactic teaching methods (i.e., "talking head" lecturing/covering the content with power points) to using innovative approaches in didactic courses to impact large numbers of students in a consistent manner.
Dr. Kellie Bryant, NYUCN's Director of Simulation, stated that to date, simulation has not been used in the didactic setting in nursing education. Didactic simulation enhanced teaching strategies (D-SETS©) was designed as a unique teaching strategy to translate theory into practice and bring patient context to the didactic setting; it specifically integrates theory related to cultural competency (CC), and motivational interviewing (MI) and simulation principles to address major health problems/ disparities (MHP/D) e.g., Obesity or Diabetes (HP NG I & II).
D-SETS clinically contextualizes vulnerable, underserved patients with MHP/D for students in large didactic classes. D-SETS requires NE competencies demonstrating their use of (a) trained standardized patient (SP) and/or a portable Hi-Fidelity simulator, such as Sim-Man 3; (b) realistic MHP/D patient case scenarios (PCS) which require use of CC and MI skills for clinical assessment/intervention; and (c) videotaping for self-evaluation, use of feedback from SP, if used, and faculty facilitated debriefing (simulation principles).
Consultants, Dr. Larry Purnell, internationally known for his Purnell model for interprofessional cultural competence and Dr. Pamela Jeffries, nationally recognized as an expert in simulation teaching learning strategies, as well as Dr. Donna Shelley, a physician from NYUSOM, an expert on motivational interviewing will assist in developing and evaluating MHP/D PCSs for D-SETS for use with SP and mobile simulator. NEs with D-SETS competencies will contribute to increasing CC and MI competencies in nursing students to care for vulnerable populations with MHP/D.
A second component of this project develops/implements and evaluates an aggressive minority recruitment and retention plan (MRRP) to attract, enroll, retain, and graduate an increased number of minority NE MS students, especially Hispanic/Latino students with D-SETS competencies. Dr. Jackie Klein, NYUCN's Director of Academic Advising stated that the MRRP builds on NYUCN's current R&R strategies and will use a task force of minority faculty/ students/staff along with Dr. Purnell to develop the MRRP.
"A major contribution of this project will be an increased number of available NE, in particular minority NEs, to teach in nursing programs with minority populations, e.g., community colleges and NYS health care agencies," said Dr. Maria Dolce, Program Coordinator of the NE MS program. "The NE graduates of this Project with enhanced D-SETS competencies will be better prepared to innovatively teach nursing students how to apply theory (CC & MI) in practice to appropriately care for medically underserved vulnerable patients experiencing MHP/D. In turn, the graduates from nursing programs taught by NYUCN NEs will join the RN workforce and be better prepared to provide culturally competent and safe quality nursing care to underserved populations."
About the New York University College of Nursing
NYU College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Master of Arts and Post-Master's Certificate Programs; a Doctor of Philosophy in Research Theory and Development, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. For more information, visit www.nyu.edu/nursing.