Future of Postgraduate Clinical Programmes

Future of Postgraduate Clinical Programmes

The School of Nursing has completed a review of its current mix of programmes in relation to strategic importance and financial viability.

Reduced tertiary education funding is having an impact on all applied postgraduate programmes with a clinical focus.

“It is unfortunate that funding and other contextual constraints have meant that Otago Polytechnic needs to reshape its post-registration courses. Otago Polytechnic is committed to ensuring that future developments meet the needs of local nurses and the wider nursing profession”, says Dr. Alison Dixon, Academic Leader of the School.

The School has decided to phase-out all existing clinical postgraduate nursing programmes and will commence consultation with nursing stakeholders about future directions in post-registration nursing education.

Dr. Alison Dixon said “The School will ensure that all nurses actively pursuing study in these programmes can complete their qualifications.”

Otago Polytechnic has offered postgraduate nursing programmes since 1998. The Masters of Nursing commenced in 2001. There have been 13 Masters graduates with 46 graduates from the Postgraduate Diploma and 195 graduates from the Postgraduate Certificate between 2002 and 2005. In recent years there have been diminishing enrolments in these programmes.

Since 2002, the programmes have also been offered in partnership with the Schools of Nursing at UCOL (Palmerston North) and Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. Courses have been facilitated by expert staff from the three institutions.

The School of Nursing celebrates the advancement of nursing in New Zealand as a result of graduates from these programmes. Graduates from communities across the country have:

• contributed to the quality of direct patient care in a range of settings such as oncology, child health, critical care, and women’s health
• provided local and national leadership for nursing and health care
• prepared portfolios ready for approval as urban and rural Nurse Practitioners by the Nursing Council of New Zealand
• Progressed to PhD study.

“We are very proud of our graduates and what they have achieved. They are making a very real difference to the health care of New Zealanders. This is the lasting legacy from these postgraduate clinical programmes,” says Dr. Alison Dixon.

Ends

© Scoop Media