Nursing Career Pathways Project

Appendix E : Briefing Paper - Stage 2
Appendix F : Briefing Paper (Stage 3)

Appendix E : Briefing Paper - Stage 2

National Nursing Career Pathways Project

Pathways to Nursing's Diversity

Briefing Paper to inform Second Round Stakeholder Consultations

Thank you for your ongoing support in this national research project. Following the first round of interviews combined with a critical review of literature, the research team has developed a definition for the term 'career pathway' and some draft diagrams that begin to depict the various components of nursing career pathways. Attached please find the materials for the second round of consultation.

During the interview that has been arranged, you will be asked to offer your responses to:

the proposed definition and diagrams representing career pathways in nursing,
comments in the material in relation to marketing nursing's diversity
whether there are other opportunities for career pathway developments that have not been identified in this paper.

Please feel free to discuss the definition and diagrams with colleagues so as to enable as wide a view as possible to be collected.

In relation to the other questions that the research team sought your views about during the first round of consultation, you will shortly receive a draft copy of a discussion paper and recommendations. The draft document will address in more detail specific responses to the questions:

Whose core business it is to review, monitor and provide information regarding career pathways?
What information prospective nurses need from career pathways?
Whether there needs to be a nexus between career pathways and the various education sectors (Secondary, Vocational and Tertiary)?
To what extent career pathways should inform Employers (Public and private), Industrial, Professional, and Regulatory authorities, in the health industry?
If there is a need in nursing to link Career Pathways with health labour-force requirements?

May I remind you that the second interview will also be audiotaped, recorded and transcribed. Genesys Conferencing has again been organised to arrange the interview. While participation in the project will assist the National Nursing Education Review Secretariat in its deliberations, I remind you that participation remains voluntary and you can withdraw at any time. At the completion of the project all information collected including audio tapes and transcriptions will be securely stored at the Centre for Research into Nursing and Health Care, City East Campus of the University of South Australia for the mandatory seven years and then destroyed. As has been indicated to you, the Human Research Ethics Committee, University of South Australia has approved this research study. If you require any further information please contact Dr Kay Price Ph. 08 8302 2721, mob. 0419 849 875 e-mail Kay.Price@unisa.edu.au, or the Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee Dr Eimear Muir-Cochrane, Ph 08 8302 2751.

Many thanks

Dr. Kay Price, Ms. Marie Heartfield, Ms. Terri Gibson

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Pathways to Nursing Diversity

National Nursing Career Pathways Project

Briefing Paper to inform Stakeholder Consultations

Thank you for giving your consent to be part of this national research project. The aim of the research team is to produce for the National Nursing Education Review Secretariat, the first comprehensive analysis of the understandings, relationships and comparisons, of career pathways for Australian nurses. The outcomes of the interviews with you and other key stakeholders, will be a profile of potential career pathways in nursing and a summary of key issues.

Interview Focus

A review of published literature highlights that the term 'career pathway' generates many different meanings and usages. 'Career Pathways' material that has been requested and received from professional nursing organisations for this project, have included:

copies of career structures for nurses,
industrial awards,
educational pathways and programs,
guidelines for the scope of nursing practice,
specific sections of Nurses Acts that 'affect career pathways', and
Information about research grants.

There have also been statements that there are no documents that identify career pathways.

As a consequence of your experiences, professional involvement, and policy development understanding etcetera, what the research team requires to establish in discussion with you, is how you define the term 'career pathway' and why you understand this term in this way. Also, during the interview you will be asked to offer your views about what you consider the intended use of the term 'career pathway' has been for nursing, what career pathways are currently available, and whether you consider there are other opportunities for career pathway developments.

The other questions that the research team will be addressing and consequently would appreciate your views are:

Whose core business it is to review, monitor and provide information regarding career pathways?
What information prospective nurses need from career pathways?
Whether there needs to be a nexus between career pathways and the various education sectors (Secondary, Vocational and Tertiary)?
To what extent career pathways should inform Employers (Public and private), Industrial, Professional, and Regulatory authorities, in the health industry?
If there is a need in nursing to link Career Pathways with health labour-force requirements?

May I remind you that the interview will be audiotaped, recorded and transcribed. Genesys Conferencing have been organised to arrange the interview. While participation in the project will assist the National Nursing Education Review Secretariat in its deliberations, participation remains voluntary and you can withdraw at any time. At the completion of the project all information collected including audio tapes and transcriptions will be securely stored at the Centre for Research into Nursing and Health Care, City East Campus of the University of South Australia for the mandatory seven years and then destroyed. As has been indicated to you, the Human Research Ethics Committee, University of South Australia has approved this research study. If you require any further information please contact Dr Kay Price Ph. 08 8302 2721, mob. 0419 849 875 e-mail Kay.Price@unisa.edu.au, or the Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee Dr Eimear Muir-Cochrane, Ph 08 8302 2751.

Pathways to Nursing's Diversity

A Draft Report for the second round stakeholder consultations to inform a project for the National Nurse Education Review Secretariat
Prepared by Dr. Kay Price, Ms. Marie Heartfield and Ms. Terri Gibson, September 2001

Introduction

Following nationally conducted interviews with a number of stakeholders the recurring view was that there was not a single agreed definition for the term career pathway. There was support for consideration to a national nursing career pathway framework. Additionally, stakeholders focused on nursing as a professional career, expressing the clear view that registered nurses required tertiary education to successfully implement the registered nurse role.

In relation to a definition for the term 'career pathway', a collection of views was obtained from participants.

Stakeholders considered that the term 'Career Pathway' refers to:

A series of options and opportunities with weighted rewards

Different levels that correspond to increasing levels of responsibility, education or technical expertise requirements

A progression of opportunities that change in responsibility and scope as you go along a career path

A means to see forward, to see what options exist, transparent as to what you need to do to get to the next opportunity and a means to look back and see where you have come from and where other colleagues are.

A transparent concept that shows the flexibility in forms of linkages, articulates the openings up into other areas and demonstrates different levels of increasing responsibility, increasing education and/or technical skill requirements, the different streams and remuneration.

An avenue of progression

A map or a plan which offers the guides to levels or stages through which a nurse can move to and through that is matched to their qualifications, experience and performance expected at each level.

Succession planning

Something that gives direction for where you want to be and knowing what education, competence and experiences are required.

A concept that enables an individual to look at their strengths and areas for improvement and a means for organisations to assist this - a two-way concept.

A way an individual can develop their careers - a process that identifies specific traits and links with National Standards. Identifies choices. Linked with Scope of practice

A progressive development process with a myriad of options available.

The steps along the way.

Stakeholders articulated the following points:

Concern that nursing is not articulating career pathways

Career Pathways are more than Career structures

Need to be able to inform students still at school and career officers - have not done this at all well in nursing

Students want to know where they can go, where nursing can take them, what it takes to get there - provide them with a map in their head.

State and Territory based Industrial Awards should not be embedded into pathway but linked to it.

Pathways need to be flexible

Must ensure they remove the dead-ends and cul-de-sac view some clinicians consider exist

Can have a national framework that enables differences to be enacted at state level

Nursing needs to be seen as a generic degree for life - nurses are communicators, managers, someone who understands the scene, is sensitive, have a global perspective to work, is flexible and energetic.

Need to use the pathways as a marketing tool to attract people into nursing by showing its diversity and options

Must embrace assistants in nursing

'Nursing Family' starts at Certificate 3 - no end

ENs to have their own pathways - why not have a specialist EN role?

Must have a contemporary outlook and not traditional or still in the dark ages perspective

Invert the whole system and place patients or populations of patients at the centre

A nurse should be able to insert her/himself into a pathway and be able to identify what it is that they could be and how they get to be

UK has removed the word nurse - have a level of technician (skilled workers ?) and a level of health worker (professional careers ?) though still keep the word doctor

Federated structure presents problems

Need a realistic look at the world

Need to identify what categories of workers we need

Need to ensure strengthening of RN role and ongoing tertiary education

Ongoing education is essential though no guarantee that mandatory required ongoing education will improve situations

Still too many RNs without Bachelor qualifications

Need for national focus for nursing though not necessarily the need for more structures

The How rather than the What

Depending on position in hierarchy and authority possess as to what view about career pathways a participant had.

Nursing Careers Pathways

Nursing careers pathways are a means to articulate the various components about nursing's diversity to nurses, persons interested in nursing as a professional career, educationalists and policy makers. The various components of nursing careers pathways are elaborated to:

demonstrate the breadth and depth of nursing as a professional career

show how the scope of nursing practice involves different roles with the potential to accommodate the education, training and employment needs of different groups.

make visible the career options at entry (assistants in nursing), technical (enrolled nurse) and professional (registered nurse) levels ensuring that students are prepared for multiple levels within community services and health and not just for a specific job

have appropriate transition to further education, training ad employment opportunities

incorporate choice

recognise skill development

set out the goals and strategies to achieve them

are flexible to change as life experiences, access to information and decisions change.

The draft diagrams begin to depict the various components of nursing careers pathways. Diagram 1 is the overarching structure of nursing careers pathways components.

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Letter to Stakeholders

National Nursing Career Pathways Project

National Nursing Education Review Secretariat

Pathways to Nursing's Diversity

Stage 3 : Stakeholder Comments

Dear Stakeholder,

Stage 1 & 2 of the above named project has been completed. Based on information received from stakeholders combined with a critical review of literature, the research team has developed a working definition for the term 'career pathway' and some draft diagrams that begin to depict the various components of career pathways. Attached please find the materials for the second round of consultation and a survey form you are asked to complete and return by Wednesday 19th September.

You are invited to offer your response to:-

the proposed definition and diagrams representing the diversity of careers pathways in nursing,
whether there are other opportunities for career pathway developments that have not been identified in this paper.

Please feel free to discuss the definition and diagrams with colleagues so as to enable as wide a view as possible to be collated.

While participation in the project will assist the National Nursing Education Review Secretariat in its deliberations, I remind you that participation remains voluntary and you can choose not to return the survey form. At the completion of the project all information collected including audio tapes and transcriptions will be securely stored at the Centre for Research into Nursing and Health Care, City East Campus of the University of South Australia for the mandatory seven years and then destroyed. The Human Research Ethics Committee, University of South Australia has approved this research study. If you require any further information please contact Dr Kay Price Ph. 08 8302 2721, mob. 0419 849 875 e-mail Kay.Price@unisa.edu.au, or the Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee Dr Eimear Muir-Cochrane, Ph. 08 8302 2751.

Many thanks

Kay Price

Project Leader

On behalf of the Project Team

Dr. Kay Price, Ms Marie Heartfield, Ms Terri Gibson

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Survey Form

National Nursing Career Pathways Project - National Nursing Education Review Secretariat

Pathways to Nursing's Diversity

Survey Stakeholder Comments

Please complete and return by Wednesday 19th September

This survey relates to the proposed definition and diagrams that have been prepared to reflect the diversity of career pathways in nursing. Please feel free to discuss the definition and diagrams with colleagues so as to enable as wide a view as possible to be collected. You are invited to offer your responses to the questions that follow, and to write any additional comments on the back of this form.

Question 1

Do you consider that the proposed definition represents what you understand is a career pathway?
Please elaborate in the space provided

Question 2

Do you consider that the proposed definition and diagrams will be useful to nurses, persons interested in nursing as a professional career, educationalists and policy makers?
Please elaborate in the space provided

Question 3

Do you consider that the proposed diagrams demonstrate the diversity of career pathways in nursing?
Please elaborate in the space provided

Question 4

What other opportunities for career pathway developments that have not been identified?
Please elaborate in the space provided

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