From:
To:
cc:
Subject:
Date:
Spinney, Jim
Fornssler, Cathie;
Crowe, Trever; Stamler, Lynnette; Gordon Hill;
RE: Financial impact of revised Nurse Practitioner Option in Master of Nursing program
Friday, May 23, 2008 9:49:17 AM
Hi Cathie,
The incremental financial impact should be modest for expenditures and particularly so for revenue
Regarding expenditures, teaching resources will be required for 2 new graduate courses – NURS 879 and a
new U of S Pathophysiology course to replace the one currently taken by students from the Ontario consortium.
In the absence of any information indicating otherwise, I’m assuming that the College is funding the required
teaching resources.
On the revenue side, I agree with Lynette’s comments. While the duration of the program has been increased
from 4 terms (at $1,000 per term, or $4,000 in total per student) to 5 terms (at $1,000 per term, or $5,000 in total
per student), the first year experience indicates most students are extending the program and paying for 5
terms. With a maximum program enrolment of 8 students, tuition revenue would either not increase at all or
increase to a maximum of $8,000.
I trust this provides the type of financial analysis that you require.
Jim
From: Fornssler, Cathie
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:16 PM
To: Spinney, Jim
Cc: trever.crowe; Stamler, Lynnette; Gordon Hill
Subject: Financial impact of revised Nurse Practitioner Option in Master of Nursing program
Hi, Jim
The Nurse Practitioner Option in the Master of Nursing program is being changed to add an
additional term – see the attached documents.
This curriculum revision will be discussed at Friday’s APC meeting.
Could you provide APC with a verbal or written analysis of the financial impact of this
program change?
Here are Lynette Stambler’s comments about the impact of this change:
We envision a maximum class of 8 students - meaning at most $8000. additional revenue. Some
students in the first cohort already delayed some courses because they found the load too heavy - so
they have already paid additional tuition - so I don't think the net gain will be that much.
Lynette is at 1477 if you need to contact her for any additional information.
Cathie
Cathie Fornssler
Committee Coordinator
Office of the University Secretary
218 College Building
University of Saskatchewan
COLLEGE OF NURSING
MEMORANDUM
TO: FROM: DATE: APC Committee Dr. Lynnette Leeseberg Stamler, Graduate Chair College of Nursing June 4, 2008 Please find below the answers to the questions raised at the May 30, 2008 meeting of the
Academic Planning Committee regarding the changes to the Nurse Practitioner Option of the
Master of Nursing Program.
1. Committee members had several specific questions about the course documentation
we received:
- There should be a distinction in the course calendar descriptions between 881
and 886, and between 884 and 879.
Please note that both of these pairs of courses could very easily be six credit courses. They were
arbitrarily divided in half for administrative (e.g. scheduling) and student ease purposes (e.g.,
having to repeat a six credit course d/t absence because of health issues is much more difficult
than to make up a three credit course). However, you are correct that probably the course
descriptions should be more reflective. Please see comparisons below.
NURS 881 – Current
Students will integrate pathophysiology and drug therapy concepts as a basis for
advanced primary health care nursing practice. Students will develop diagnostic
reasoning based on understanding the pathophysiology of acute and chronic
disorders in adults and children, and make therapeutic decisions based on
pharmacotherapeutic principles, professional, ethical, regulatory and practical
aspects of prescribing.
NURS 881 – Proposed
Students will integrate pathophysiology and drug therapy concepts as a basis for
advanced primary health care nursing practice. Students will develop diagnostic
reasoning based on understanding the pathophysiology of endocrine,
cardiovascular and pulmonary systems across the lifespan and make therapeutic
decisions based on pharmacotherapeutic principles, and professional, ethical,
regulatory and practical aspects of prescribing.
NURS 886 – Current
Students will integrate pathophysiology and drug therapy concepts as a basis sfor
advanced primary health care nursing practice. Students will develop diagnostic
reasoning based on understanding the pathophysiology of acute and chronic
disorders in adults and children, and make therapeutic decisions based on
pharmacotherapeutic principles, professional, ethical, regulatory and practical
aspects of prescribing.
NURS 886 – Proposed
Building on knowledge and skills learned in Pathophysiology-Pharmacoptherapy
for Advanced Nursing Practice I, students will complete the body systems across
the life span. They will incorporate both an understanding of pathophysiology
and the utilization of pharmacotherapeutic principles, and professional, ethical,
regulatory and practical aspects of prescribing to make therapeutic decisions.
The course descriptions for NURS884 and NURS879 are NOT alike – please see below. Thus
minimal changes have been made.
NURS 884 – Current
This course builds on participants skills and knowledge in the conduct of
comprehensive and focused health assessment across the life span. Seminars
introduce concepts, frameworks, and techniques integral to advanced health
assessment and diagnosis. Labs and clinical experiences will provide
opportunities to practice comprehensive and focused health assessment.
NURS 884 – Proposed
This course builds on participants skills and knowledge in the conduct of
comprehensive and focused health assessment across the life span. Seminars
introduce concepts, frameworks, and techniques integral to advanced health
assessment and diagnosis. Labs will provide opportunities to practice
comprehensive and focused health assessment in endocrine, cardiovascular and
pulmonary systems.
NURS 879 – Current
Building on Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning I, this
course completes the assessment process for advanced nursing practice. Utilizing
seminars, lab, and clinical experiences, students will further build skills for health
assessment across the life span.
NURS 879 – Proposed
No changes proposed.
- The course description for 884 should clarify if this is a pass /fail course.
Neither NURS 884 nor NURS 879 are pass/fail courses. The course descriptions state that
evaluation is based on case studies, OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examination – the
application of the learning) and a health history assignment in NURS 884 and case studies,
OSCEs and presentations in NURS 879. Quizzes are frequently part of both case studies and
OSCEs. Students will receive grades for each component of the evaluation. The OSCEs are
weighted highly enough (40% in each course) that a student who is unsuccessful in them will
have a very difficult time passing the course.
2. In regard to the program, the Committee has asked for some additional information:
- Are the students enrolled in this program eligible for scholarships?
As per University of Saskatchewan College of Graduate Studies and Research policy, students in
course-based graduate programs are NOT currently eligible for university scholarships. The NP
students are eligible for Saskatchewan Health bursaries, and several of the first cohort received
them. The out-of-province student received some funds from the College of Nursing. As well, the
students did receive some travel monies to assist with clinical placements.
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- How many have graduated in this option already?
Of the seven (7) students who were admitted in 2006, five convocated last week with their MN
degrees. One transferred to the course-based MN program, and will convocate in October, 2008.
The last one delayed some of her non-NP coursework, and has one more course to complete
before graduating. None of them are affected by these changes, and the changes are the reason
why we didn’t admit to the program in 2007.
3. The Committee would like to see some additional justification for lengthening this
program in addition to student demand. In particular, how does this length of program
compare to other nurse practitioner programs elsewhere in the country?
An environmental scan was completed at the time of the original proposal in 2005-6. I have recreated this with updated information below. Please note the Ontario Program is the Council of
Ontario Universities Programs in Nursing (COUPN) Consortium which has 11+ university
members who deliver the same program across the province. It began as a post- diploma program
and is moving/has moved to graduate level at all the universities. Please also note that we are very
much in line with the other graduate NP courses across the country.
An additional justification included in the documentation was that in the original configuration of
courses, the students were in overload (more than 9 credits/term) in several of the terms, as
traditionally defined at the University of Saskatchewan. The new configuration removes that
overload.
University
University of Victoria
Program Type
Family Practitioner
MN/NP
University of British
Columbia
Family Nurse
Practitioner
MN/NP
Post Masters
Diploma or with
MN degree
University of Calgary
Credits
30.5
(distance
delivery
with time
on-campus)
62 credits
including
clinical
Credits not
indicated
Ontario Primary Health Care
Nurse Practitioner Program
PHCNP/MN
Credits not
indicated
University of New
Brunswick
MN/NP
Memorial University
MN/NP
54 credits
(includes
clinical)
25 +
Clinical
Dalhousie University
MN/PHCNP
36 credit
hours
Time
2 calendar years
(Sept-Aug)
2 year full time oncampus (including
summer between)
2 years full time oncampus (including
the summer
between)
2 academic years
with integrative
practicum May-Aug
the second year
Also a 3 year part
time option at some
universities
2 academic years
full-time including
two summers.
2 academic years
full time without
summers
20 months full time.
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4. Finally, the Committee would like the College of Nursing to supply a memo
indicating that any additional resources required would be covered within the college.
This could be similar to the example letter regarding environmental engineering which I
sent to you yesterday.
- Please see attached memo from Dean Butler.
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