Exciting times in BC! There is a NEW Provincial Practical Nurse Curriclum, the program has been extended, and the new Curriculum Guide weaves End of Life Care throughout the program!
I am honoured to have been asked to help a team write their new curriculum. The invitation is to develop the End of Life Care components of the program. Unlike a post grad certificate, where we can develop themes over a number of consecutive sessions…. The challenge is to determine learning needs at each semester/level, dovetail with course content and pull it all together by the end of the program. It is like building a puzzle, fitting pieces together to create a beautiful whole. But the puzzle is multi-dimension, and extends across time.
To add to the complexity of the project – competencies and learning outcomes are not specified. Coincidentally I had been talking with Sharon Baxter at CHPCA, and she in turn with Health Canada, to explore the development of palliative competencies for core Practical Nurse curriculum. The College of Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) is the only group that has a well defined set of core competencies. Written in 2005, they are more than ready for a rewrite…. but at least there is a guide to use.
Great project to snuggle in with over the winter fire! The words: best practice, research based, engaging, learner friendly, instructor friendly, diverse teaching strategies, appropriate level, spiral learning theory, limited time, rich, fabulous, relevant…. guide my process.
Kath
