Using contribution analysis to evaluate health professions and health sciences programs.

Introduction/background: Course evaluation in health education is a common practice yet few comprehensive evaluations of health education exist that measure the impact and outcomes these programs have on developing health graduate capabilities. Aim/objectives: To explore how curricula contribute to health graduate capabilities and what factors contribute to the development of these capabilities. Methods: Using contribution analysis evaluation, a six-step iterative process, key stakeholders in the six selected courses were engaged in an iterative theory-driven evaluation. The researchers collectively developed a postulated theory-of-change. Then evidence from existing relevant documents were extracted using documentary analysis. Collated findings were presented to academic staff, industry representatives and graduates, where additional data was sought through focus group discussions - one for each discipline. The focus group data were used to validate the theory-of-change. Data analysis was conducted iteratively, refining the theory of change from one course to the next. Results: The complexity in teaching and learning, contributed by human, organizational and curriculum factors was highlighted. Advances in knowledge, skills, attitudes and graduate capabilities are non-linear and integrated into curriculum. Work integrated learning significantly contributes to knowledge consolidation and forming professional identities for health professional courses. Workplace culture and educators' passion impact on the quality of teaching and learning yet are rarely considered as evidence of impact. Discussion: Capturing the episodic and contextual learning moments is important to describe success and for reflection for improvement. Evidence of impact of elements of courses on future graduate capabilities was limited with the focus of evaluation data on satisfaction. Conclusion: Contribution analysis has been a useful evaluation method to explore the complexity of the factors in learning and teaching that influence graduate capabilities in health-related courses.

Establishing quality standards for graduate entry master of nursing curricula in Australia and New Zealand: A Delphi study.

AIM: To describe the common elements of Graduate Entry Master of Nursing curricula and identify a set of standards and quality indicators for benchmarking purposes within and across jurisdictions. BACKGROUND: Internationally, there has been an increase in universities offering Graduate Entry Masters programs in Nursing. Such programs specify a bachelor degree as an entry requirement and then offer an intensive program of study that prepares graduates for registration as a nurse. To date, no formal standards exist to guide evaluation of these curricula. DESIGN: A two phased sequential mixed-methods design comprising thematic content analysis of curricula and a Delphi study. The setting was the Australian and New Zealand tertiary education sectors. Participants were nurse academics who were recruited to participate in the Delphi study. Quota sampling was used to identify educators from the education providers meeting organisational inclusion criteria (program coordinator and one lecturer working as a subject coordinator of the program) and nominated by their Head of Department. METHODS: Phase One of the study involved a thematic analysis of the curricula of nine Graduate Entry Master of Nursing programs to identify common elements of curricula and domains of quality. In Phase Two these themes were used in a series of Delphi rounds to identify a set of agreed quality domains, statements and indicators. RESULTS: Participants (n = 16) responded over three Delphi rounds. A total of nine domains of quality were determined, a set of 26 quality statements were identified based on the acceptance threshold of > 75% level of agreement and 27 quality indicators were established. CONCLUSIONS: Our research provides an agreed set of indicators for evaluating the quality of Graduate Entry Master of Nursing programs. This work will also make it possible to measure the immediate and longer-term impacts of Graduate Entry Master of Nursing programs for the nursing workforce. Future work must focus on testing feasibility and optimising utility while refining indicators across jurisdictions.

The defining characteristics of newly graduated nurses - A Delphi study.

Despite processes designed to ensure that graduates of accredited nursing programs possess the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the workforce, a gap remains between graduate capabilities and industry expectations of work-readiness. This study aims to identify the defining characteristics of work-ready graduate nurses from the perspective of a purposive sample of new graduates, employers and academics utilising a three-round Delphi design and to compare the findings. In Round One participants provided free-text descriptors of graduate attributes, core knowledge and skills. In Rounds Two and Three participants prioritised categorised results from Round One and added free-text responses. Data from these rounds were not aggregated. In Round One, 14 academics, 20 clinicians and 12 graduates provided responses. In Round Two we received 10, 12 and 5 responses respectively and in Round Three 9, 8 and 4 responses respectively. The final round identified 19 characteristics and attributes, 10 knowledge areas and 11 skills for work-ready graduate nurses. This study identified that graduates should be safe practitioners, with professional behaviours, an understanding of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology of disease, and medication safety, with good patient assessment and communication skills. Time management and prioritisation skills that graduates expect of themselves, develop with consolidation of practice.

A review of key national reports to describe the development of paramedic education in England (1966-2014).

INTRODUCTION: In the year 1966, important advances in mobile coronary care and trauma care in the UK and USA influenced globally the development of modern prehospital emergency services and paramedic education. In that year, to meet the evolving role of prehospital care in the UK, the 'Millar Report' specified a new syllabus for ambulance personnel in England. As the 50th anniversary of this report approaches, this paper reviews key national UK reports to describe the development of paramedic education in England over this period. METHODS: A hand search of documents available and a Google search identified documents in the public domain. MEDLINE and CINAHL Plus were searched for peer-reviewed publications. Thematic analysis was used to identify descriptive themes. RESULTS: Of the 83 reports and 431 articles screened, 33 documents met our inclusion criteria. We identified four historical periods in English paramedic education: development of paramedic education (1966-1996); paramedic role changes influencing education (1997-2004); paramedic education level changes and the emergency care practitioner (2005-2008); and paramedic education for the future (2010-2014). Our discussion of four descriptive themes: government authority and policy, influence of health professions, quality assurance and development of the paramedic profession includes comparisons with paramedic education in the USA and Australia. CONCLUSIONS: Political reform agendas and initiatives and advances in clinical medicine largely shaped paramedic roles and education in England. The degree to which the paramedic profession initiated education development is difficult to determine from the literature. Overall, a nationally coherent standard for paramedic education in England needed five decades to develop and mature.