Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Application Checklist

Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Application Checklist Applicant Name: Commencing Year & Semester: Documents to be uploaded with the Online Application 1. Certified copies of my academic transcripts 2. Evidence of my current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) 3. Evidence supporting my application for credit (if required) 4. Current resume, including evidence of a minimum of 5 years practice FTE as a Registered Nurse, 3 years FTE in a specialty area and 1 year at an advanced practice level. 5. Evidence that I am actively involved in professional organisations and contribute to the ongoing development of the profession YES NO 6. Completed Letter of Support from my Executive Director of Nursing (or equivalent) 7. Completed Clinical Support Team and Clinical Mentor information sheet 8. Clinical Mentor Agreement Form 9. Clinical Support Team Agreement Forms Applicant Signature: Date: This checklist should be signed and dated by you, and uploaded with all of your other documentation to your online application. Page 1 of 1

Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Executive Director of Nursing, Clinical Mentor and Support Team Information Please provide the details of your Executive Director of Nursing (or equivalent) and your clinical support team members 1 : Executive Director of Nursing (or equivalent): Name: Position: Organisation: Address: Email: Phone: Clinical Mentor Name: Position: Organisation: Address: Email: Phone: Clinical Support Team Member 1 Name: Position: Organisation: Address: Email: Phone: Clinical Support Team Member 2 Name: Position: Organisation: Address: Email: Phone: *Additional pages can be added if required. 1 The CST should at a minimum cover nursing, medicine and pharmacology. Suitable members of the CST are nurse practitioner, medical practitioner, pharmacist and other health professions can be included if there is an identified need for it e.g. physiotherapist, radiologist etc. The clinical mentor is either a nurse practitioner, with at least one-year full time experience as a nurse practitioner, or a medical practitioner with a specialisation in a relevant clinical area i.e. cardiologist or GP. Page 1 of 1

Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Letter of Support Executive Director of Nursing (or equivalent) I, (Print full name) in the position of (Executive Director of Nursing or equivalent) on behalf of (Organisation) agree to support (Students full name) undertaking the Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies program with the University of Queensland, School of Nursing and Midwifery should he/she be accepted. I acknowledge that I have read the attached Clinical Practice Requirements of the Program information and confirm that the organisation is committed to supporting the studies of this student by providing the Clinical Placement and Clinical Support Team requirements of the program. I certify that I have kept a copy of this document for my records. Signed Date Address: Phone: Email: Page 1 of 4

Professional Experience Requirements of the Program It is expected that most Nurse Practitioner (NP) candidates will continue working in their specialty clinical area while undertaking their studies, in order to meet the professional experience requirements of the program. NP candidates enrolled in NURS7001, NURS7002, NURS7003, NURS7004 and NURS7007 are required to undertake professional experience (see Table 1) in their usual speciality area in order to have opportunity to further develop their skills and professional practice as an NP with the guidance of their clinical support team and mentors. Table1. Hours of professional experience for NP candidates Course Name h /week Total/course NURS7001 Advanced Nursing Practice 1 8 104 NURS7002 Advanced Clinical Practice 1 10 130 NURS7003 Advanced Nursing Practice 2 8 104 NURS7004 Advanced Clinical Practice 2 10 130 NURS7007 NP development of Care 8 104 Total 572 Most candidates will be combining part-time study with work and the clinical requirements of the courses in which they are enrolled. Because of their previous work history, candidates will have varying levels of expertise in different aspects of the program. This means that some modules in a course may be relatively easy and others less so if the material differs from their usual practice. The clinical support team along with the academic mentor should be ready to assist, so students are therefore encouraged to not delay the identification of any difficulties with content, clinical application or time management. If at any time during enrolment in this program, a candidate has difficulty in meeting the clinical requirements of the course, it is their responsibility to raise this as soon as practical with their academic mentor so that a resolution to any issues can take place with the clinical facility. The focus of the specified professional experience hours is on the candidate working into the role under the supervision and guidance of their mentor and clinical support Page 2 of 4

team. Candidates will be experienced registered nurses so do have the capacity to work unsupervised in their normal role, however the intent of the specified clinical hours is on developing those advanced skills that allow the candidate to meet the outcomes of the program. This may be achieved by working with the mentor or member of the clinical support team to observe, assist with, practice with supervision, or independently undertake particular clinical skills that meet the demands of the course. It is expected that during this time, the clinical support team and mentor provide teaching support in the way of demonstration, discussion, questioning, guidance, advice and feedback to the candidate. The candidate is also requested to reflect on their practice in discussion with their CST. At an early stage of the program the student s will have to identify the learning needs they require to meet the National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner. Students will use an electronic portfolio Nurse Practitioner Clinical Competency Portfolio to support this process. The portfolio is built around the three Nurse Practitioner Competency Standards: Dynamic Practice, Professional Efficacy and Clinical Leadership. Each standard has a number of competencies which are measured by performance indicators. The students, in collaboration with their CST, must identify how each performance indicator can be applied to their clinical context. Once this is done, the next step is to evaluate if the candidate has achieved each competency. Where the competency has been achieved, evidence should be provided. Where competencies have not been achieved, learning strategies for reaching them should be identified. As students achieve each competency, evidence should be provided and students should write a reflection on the process and the outcome. Clinical Placement Site Suitability Prior to the commencement of the program, the Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Program Director will contact the Executive Director of Nursing to undertake a site capability assessment. The purpose of this assessment is to ensure that the clinical requirements of the program will be able to be met by the student at their clinical placement location. A copy of the Site Capability Assessment that will be undertaken can be found on the following page. Page 3 of 4

Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies (MNPracSt) Site Capability Assessment Aim: Capability assessment of the proposed clinical site for professional experience Instructions: This assessment is to be undertaken by the Program Director in consultation with the Executive Director of Nursing (or equivalent) or their nominated representative. Health Service: Date: Name and Position: Student Name & ID: Program Director: Physical Examination: Practice under both direct and indirect supervision YES NO Adult Pediatric Advanced Health Assessment, including history taking, interview technique Interpretation: Practice under both direct and indirect supervision YES NO X-ray Lab test normal range, discussion about causes Investigations i.e. ECG, flow meter, spirometer, eye chart Supervision in: YES NO Diagnostic reasoning Safe prescribing Authority Scripts S8 prescription PBS rules MBS items Ordering blood and blood products Workers compensation Notes: The clinical skills requirements for the individual student will be identified during the first semester and recorded in the Nurse Practitioner clinical competency portfolio. Placement Confirmed: Yes No Page 4 of 4

Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Clinical Mentor Agreement I, registered with Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA), Registration number:, Registration expiry date: / /20, hereby state that I have read the provided documentation regarding the role and responsibilities of the Clinical Mentor (CM) for a Nurse Practitioner candidate. I agree to be a Clinical Mentor for from The University of Queensland, School of Nursing & Midwifery as long as she/he is enrolled in the Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Program. Signature: Name: Position: Date: Page 1 of 1

Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Clinical Support Team Member Agreement I, registered with Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA), Registration number:, Registration expiry date: / /20, hereby state that I have read the provided documentation regarding the role and responsibilities of the Clinical Support Team (CST) for a Nurse Practitioner candidate. I agree to be a Clinical Support Team member for from The University of Queensland, School of Nursing & Midwifery as long as she/he is enrolled in the Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies Program. Signature: Name: Position: Date: Page 1 of 1

MASTER OF NURSE PRACTITIONER STUDIES Roles and Responsibilities: Information for the Clinical Mentor and the Clinical Support Team (For pre-enrolment information only)

Authors: Assoc Prof Heather Beattie 2006,2007 Haakan Strand 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Copyright materials contained herein have been reproduced under the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, as amended, or with the permission of the copyright owner. This material may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever except for the purposes of individual study. University Provider Number 00025B The University of Queensland 2006

Table of Contents Introduction:... 1 Role of the Clinical Support Team and Mentor:... 3 Professional Experience Requirements of the Program:... 3 Role of the Clinical Mentor:... 5 Role of the Clinical Support Team:... 6 Role of the University of Queensland:... 7 Risk Management:... 8 Assessments... 9 Role of the Mentor / Clinical Support Team in Assessment... 9

Introduction: Welcome to the Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies program (MNPractSt) within the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Queensland. Your clinical area is providing support for a Nurse Practitioner candidate who is enrolled in the MNPractSt program leading to eligibility for endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The NMBA is one of the National Boards under the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Agency (AHPRA). The School would like to thank Clinical Mentors and each member of the Clinical Support Team (CST) for this support. The CST should at a minimum cover nursing, medicine and pharmacology. Suitable members of the CST are nurse practitioner, medical practitioner and pharmacists. Allied health professions can be included if there is an identified need for it e.g. physiotherapist, radiologist etc. The clinical mentor is either a nurse practitioner, with at least one-year full time experience as a nurse practitioner, or a medical practitioner with a specialisation in a relevant clinical area i.e. cardiologist or GP. All CST members and clinical mentors should be employed at a minimum of.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE). Casual staff are not eligible to be clinical mentors or clinical support team members. The role of the clinical support team and mentors is pivotal in the development of the nurse practitioner model of care. The nurse practitioner candidate will be working closely with their team to expand their clinical skills, decision-making, critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, patient management, and professional practice. At an early stage in the program students are encouraged using their clinical competency e- portfolio to identify what the different performance indicators in the National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner (http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/codes-and- Guidelines.aspx) means in their clinical context. Additionally as a students studying at masters level, they will have to identify their own learning needs and suggest suitable learning strategies to achieve the competencies in the performance indicator. This activity should be done in collaboration with their CST and the result will be the students individual learning contract. 1

Nurse practitioners work in close collaboration with other health professionals; hence it is important that this collaboration with a multi-disciplinary clinical support team is present throughout their clinical practice as a nurse practitioner candidate for the journey to reach competency as a junior and/or novice NP. The purpose of this guide is to provide the clinical support team and clinical mentors with sufficient information about the roles of both the University and the clinical support team and mentors, to facilitate the collaboration that will aid the success of your NP candidate. Your candidate has been asked to provide us with your contact details, so we will be contacting you on a regular basis. Wheree possible or needed we will schedule a visit. Please contact the School of Nursing and Midwifery via the details provided below, if we can be of any assistance throughout this and the following semesters during the program. Thank you once again for your support of your NP candidate and we look forward to a successful collaboration. Haakan Strand Program Director Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies program School of Nursing and Midwifery Contacts: Program Director: Email: Ph: Haakan Strand h.strand@uq. edu.au 3346 5217 or 3381 1165 Administrative support: Jo Buzza Ryan Email: j.buzzaryan@ @uq.edu.au Ph: 3346 5228 or 3381 1023 2

Role of the Clinical Support Team and Mentor: Professional Experience Requirements of the Program: It is expected that most NP candidates will continue working in their specialty clinical area while undertaking their studies, in order to meet the professional experience requirements of the program. These hours will provide the student opportunity to further develop their skills and professional practice and grow into the role of a NP with the guidance of their clinical support team and mentors. NP candidates enrolled in NURS7001, NURS7002, NURS7003, NURS7004 and NURS7007 are required to undertake professional experience (see Table 1) under direct and indirect supervision in their usual speciality clinical area. Table1. Hours of Professional Experience for NP candidates Course Name h /week Total/course NURS7001 Advanced Nursing Practice 1 8 104 NURS7002 Advanced Clinical Practice 1 10 130 NURS7003 Advanced Nursing Practice 2 8 104 NURS7004 Advanced Clinical Practice 2 10 130 NURS7007 NP development of Care 8 104 Total 572 Most candidates will be combining part-time study with work and the clinical requirements of the courses in which they are enrolled. Because of their previous work history, candidates will have varying levels of expertise in different aspects of the program. This means that some modules may be relatively easy and others less so if the material differs from their usual practice. The clinical support team along with the academic mentor should be ready to assist, students and are therefore encouraged to not delay the identification of any difficulties with content, clinical application or time management. If at any time during enrolment in this program, a candidate has difficulty in meeting the clinical requirements of the course, it is their responsibility to raise this as soon as practical with their academic mentor so that a resolution to any issues can take place with the clinical facility. The focus of the specified professional experience hours is on the candidate working into the role under the supervision and guidance of their mentor and clinical support team. Candidates will be experienced registered nurses so do have the capacity to work 3

unsupervised in their normal role, however the intent of the specified clinical hours is on developing those advanced and expanded skills that allow the candidate to meet the outcomes of the program. This may be achieved by working with the mentor or member of the clinical support team to observe, assist with, practice with supervision, or independently undertake particular clinical skills that meet the demands of the course. It is expected that during this time, the clinical support team and mentor provide teaching support in the way of demonstration, discussion, questioning, guidance, advice and feedback to the candidate. The candidate is also requested to reflect on their practice in discussion with their CST. At an early stage of the program the student s will have to identify the learning needs they require to meet the National Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner. Students will use an electronic portfolio Nurse Practitioner Clinical Competency Portfolio to support this process. The portfolio is built around the three Nurse Practitioner Competency Standards: Dynamic Practice, Professional Efficacy and Clinical Leadership. Each standard has a number of competencies which are measured by performance indicators. The students, in collaboration with their CST, must identify how each performance indicator can be applied to their clinical context. Once this is done, the next step is to evaluate if the candidate has achieved each competency. Where the competency has been achieved, evidence should be provided. Where competencies have not been achieved, learning strategies for reaching them should be identified. As students achieve each competency, evidence should be provided and students should write a reflection on the process and the outcome. 4

Role of the Clinical Mentor: The Clinical Mentor is an experienced clinician, committed to the education of nurse practitioners that undertakes to support and guide the NP candidate in their clinical environment. The mentor takes a leading role of the NP candidate s clinical support team. The Clinical Mentor, in conjunction with the NP candidate s Academic Mentor, will be responsible for the supervision of the Nurse Practitioner candidate but does not have to work for the total specified clinical (professional experience hours that the Nurse Practitioner candidate is required to undertake. The responsibilities of the Mentor are to: provide clinical advice as it applies to the candidate s context of practice; assist the candidate with the development of his/her personal clinical goals and competency for practice; provide an assessment to the university of the candidate s ability and capability to demonstrate competence in his/her specialist practice; participate in the assessment of the candidate as required by the specific course/s. 5

Role of the Clinical Support Team: The CST takes a multi-disciplinary approach and may consist of physicians, surgeons, medical officers, general practitioners, qualified nurse practitioners or other expert health professionals who can give timely and appropriate advice and guidance to the candidate in case management, patient assessment, diagnostic procedures including radiology, pharmacological management of patients and ongoing care of patients and their families. Members of the CST, with the mentor, assist the NP candidate in the following ways: Being accessible to the candidate Conducting regular case reviews with the NP candidate: Discussion and assessment of clinical decisions Recommendations for future patient care Identification of learning needs and resources Supporting the candidate to develop the NP role in their clinical environment Encouraging a reflective approach as the candidate works into the role of NP Working with the NP candidate to identify learning needs Clinical teaching Patient management in collaboration with the NP candidate Providing ongoing formative feedback Competency assessment in collaboration with the university The MNPractSt program uses the SOAP format for all patient documentation and case study presentation, therefore it is expected that candidates would become familiar with discussing and presenting patients using SOAP. A copy of the SOAP notes is attached under NURS7002 (p37-38) 6

Role of the University of Queensland: Each NP candidate has been assigned an Academic Mentor, who is an experienced nurse practitioner able to assist the NP candidate and their CST in their clinical environment. In addition, the Program Director, Master of Nurse Practitioner Studies monitors the academic progress of each NP candidate. Contact details are supplied at the beginning of this document. The responsibilities of the academic mentor and course coordinator are to support the CST and mentor by: Ongoing support for the candidate and mentor and CST in the clinical setting through regular contacts Working with candidate to develop experiential learning approach as they work into the role. Identification of learning needs with candidate. Planning learning activities with candidate Collaborating with the mentor and CST to identify at risk candidate Planning and supporting the mentor and CST with assessment of candidate 7

Risk Management: Candidate are deemed at risk when summative feedback, assessment results or observation of practice from mentors, the clinical support team and or academic staff indicate that the candidate is not maintaining satisfactory progress in the course. This flowchart indicates the management plan for at risk candidates. Formative or Summative feedback; Assessment results; Direct observation of practice; Reports from clinical field; Self-reporting by candidate: May indicate candidate is not maintaining satisfactory progress in the course- At risk of failure. Clinical learning environment (CLE) reviewed with NP line manager/ CST/ academic mentor Issues discussed with Candidate by academic / clinical mentor. Action to remedy unsatisfactory progress / CLE agreed in collaboration with candidate; Candidate placed on informal skills contract if issue is performance-related Timeline for review of progress determined in collaboration with candidate and mentors Academic Mentor advises course coordinator of actions and contract details Candidate performance reviewed according to informal learning contract Candidate assessed to be making satisfactory progress in the course Candidate advised of outcome Academic Mentor advises course coordinator and facility of outcome and files informal contract Future assessment outcomes monitored to ensure continuation of satisfactory progress Candidate s assessment / CLE remains unsatisfactory Issues discussed with all parties- strategies to resolve CLE problems agreed Formal learning contract is developed with candidate, mentor, facility and academic mentor that specifies action to remedy unsatisfactory progress / CLE Timeline for review of progress determined in collaboration with candidate and facility Contract filed by course coordinator Candidate performance reviewed according to formal learning contract Candidate s assessment indicates satisfactory progress in the course Candidate is counselled by mentor and academic course coordinator Future assessment outcomes monitored to ensure continuation of satisfactory progress in the course Outcomes recorded in candidate s file. Candidate performance reviewed according to formal learning contract Candidate s assessment remains unsatisfactory OR CLE issues unresolvable Candidate is counselled by mentor and academic course coordinator and withdrawn from the course OR CLE New CLE established if feasible and appropriate Clinical facility informed of outcome 8

Assessments Role of the Mentor / Clinical Support Team in Assessment In general, the clinical mentor is the best person to provide feedback to the NP candidate about their progress and skills development. As they work alongside the candidate, it is expected that opportunities for clinical teaching and critical reflection will be used to give ongoing advice and guidance to the candidate. NP candidates are assessed in a number of ways (Table 2) in the field: by completion of Physical Examinations, through oral presentations (oral viva) of completed case study, and through formative and summative assessment of their development as a Nurse Practitioner. NP candidates also complete a number of written case based assignments that are graded by the academic team. Mentors are asked to assist in the clinical assessment of their NP candidate at several times throughout the semester. The requirements will vary from semester to semester; the following is a summary of expectations during the program. Table 2. Overview of assessment in the program to be marked by clinical mentor (CM) and/or clinical support team members (CSTM) NURS7001 NURS7002 PE X 4 NP competency assessment X 2 Formative CM / CSTM Summative CM CM Oral Viva CM and 1 CSTM NURS7003 Oral Viva CM and 1 CSTM NURS7004 NP competency assessment X 2 Formative CM / CSTM Summative CM Oral Viva CM and 1 CSTM Details and the assessment tools for each item will be presented and provided below under each course. The candidate also has access to electronic copies of these assessment tools. 9