Changing nurse licensing examinations: media analysis and implications of the Canadian experience.

AIM: This study examines perceptions of the implementation of National Council Licensing Examination in Canada through a content analysis of articles in the media. BACKGROUND: Public opinions of nursing in the media have been acknowledged as important for the profession, specifically in relation to their portrayal of nursing. INTRODUCTION: The Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators began using the US-based National Council Licensing Examination as entry examination (also known widely as NCLEX) for Canada's registered nurses, discontinuing the previous Canadian Registered Nurse Examination in 2015. METHODS: A qualitative content analysis was conducted of media reports that emerged following adoption of the National Council Licensing Examination in Canada, and highlight the image of nursing portrayed in the media during this key regulatory policy change. RESULTS: Release of the examination results for the first three quarters of 2015 identified a much lower overall Canadian pass rate than with the previous exam. Media reports highlight differences in perception of the examination between Canadian regulators and other stakeholders in the context of the examination experiences reported and test results. Issues around applicability of the examination to Canadian nursing practice, curriculum alignment, language translation concerns and stakeholder engagement were identified. DISCUSSION: The implementation of the National Council Licensing Examination in Canada highlighted lack of communication among nursing stakeholders in the country. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the media reporting has been negative and poses a reputational risk to the Canadian nursing profession. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: This change in the licensing requirement has significant policy implications for nursing in Canada and globally. Issues such as appropriate examination translation, access to appropriate test preparation materials, assurance that the examination reflects distinctive aspects of a country's healthcare system and the need for stakeholder engagement were identified.

Motivations of nurses who migrate to Canada as domestic workers.

BACKGROUND: While some trained nurses migrate to destination countries to work as domestic workers, little is known about their migration motivations. AIM: This study explores the motivations of Philippine educated nurses who migrated to Canada through the Live-in Caregiver Program from 2001 to 2011 (a Canadian domestic worker programme). METHODS: A single case study qualitative methodology and the transnational feminist concept of global care chains were utilized for this study. Interviews of 15 Philippine educated nurses who migrated to Canada as domestic workers were conducted in the province of Ontario, Canada, between February to October 2012. All participants had a baccalaureate degree from the Philippines. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using critical discourse analysis, aided by NVIVO 10 data analysis software. RESULTS: Findings reveal a multi-step immigration process in which nurses migrate from the Philippines to the Middle East (especially Saudi Arabia) and finally to Canada. While emigration from the Philippines is mainly economically driven, migration from the Middle East to Canada is primarily motivated by the desire for Canadian citizenship for the family. Also, perceived social status and lifestyle in Canada as compared to the Middle East motivates this group of women to migrate to Canada. LIMITATION: The major limitation of this study is the lack of input from nursing policy makers. CONCLUSION: Gender-based familial ideologies and perspective on social status influence the migration decision of this group of nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Implications for nursing and health policy makers include the provision of clear pre-migration information (including on the nursing registration process) to internationally educated nurses, advocacy for stronger immigration policies to ensure the integration of internationally educated nurses and a consideration of gender in all health human resource policies.

Is the grass any greener? Canada to United States of America nurse migration.

AIM: Little or no attempt has been made to determine why nurses leave Canada, remain outside of Canada, or under what circumstances might return to Canada. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of Canadian-educated registered nurses working in the USA. DATA SOURCES: Data for this study include the 1996, 2000 and 2004 USA National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses and reports from the same time period from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. FINDINGS: This research demonstrates that full-time work opportunities and the potential for ongoing education are key factors that contribute to the migration of Canadian nurses to the USA. In addition, Canada appears to be losing baccalaureate-prepared nurses to the USA. DISCUSSION: These findings underscore how health care policy decisions such as workforce retention strategies can have a direct influence on the nursing workforce. Policy emphasis should be on providing incentives for Canadian-educated nurses to stay in Canada, and obtain full-time work while continuing to develop professionally. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study provide policy leaders with important information regarding employment options of interest to migrating nurses. STUDY LIMITATIONS: This study describes and contrasts nurses in the data set, thus providing information on the context of nurse migration from Canada to the USA. Data utilized in this study are cross-sectional in nature, thus the opportunity to follow individual nurses over time was not possible.

Report cards: relevance for nursing and patient care safety.

The emergence of health care report cards in the North American environment is outlined. While it is evident that substantial activity has emerged, the majority of these initiatives excluded nursing, or use a broad indicator for nursing that may not provide meaningful representations of the quality of nursing care provided in the system and the relevance of this care to patient care safety. Given that nurses are the primary care provider in health care settings, this represents a significant gap in health care report cards. The pioneering work of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Nursing Report Card in the development and validation of report card indicators for nursing is discussed. Challenges related to data availability and data quality are identified. Potential opportunities for linking nursing practice outcomes to patient care quality and patient safety through a report card process are outlined.

Practice patterns of acute care nurse practitioners.

This study was undertaken to examine the practice pattern of nurse practitioners employed in Ontario acute care settings. A descriptive design, incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection, was used. The acute care nurse practitioners' practice pattern varied in terms of scope of practice, model guiding practice, reporting relations, and extent of role implementation. Role implementation encompassed activities representing the four role components: clinical practice, education, administration or management, and research. The acute care nurse practitioners engaged most frequently in the clinical component of the role. They performed medical and advanced nursing functions. They emphasized that they do not work in isolation and that they do not replace physicians or residents.

Organizational factors influencing nurse practitioners' role implementation in acute care settings.

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of organizational factors on the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) role implementation. A descriptive correlational design, incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection was used. The sample of convenience consisted of 57 ACNPs assigned to various medical and surgical programs within acute care hospitals. Ten ACNPs participated in the unstructured qualitative interviews. In addition to the interviews, data pertinent to various organizational factors, including role formalization, receptivity of the role by others, perceived autonomy, role strain, and additional factors that may interfere with role implementation, were collected through a self-report structured questionnaire. A four-diary day was completed to gather data on role implementation. Descriptive and correlational statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative data were content analyzed. The ACNPs engaged most frequently in activities reflective of the clinical practice component of the role and less frequently in the non-clinical components (i.e., education, administration, and research). Results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that lack of formal clear job description, conflicting demands and expectations, lack of receptivity of the role by others, lack of autonomy, and increased workload were negatively correlated with the ACNP role implementation. The ACNP role implementation varies across practice settings. This variability should be accounted for when examining outcomes of ACNP care.

A surgical process management tool.

Inspired by a shortage of qualified nursing personnel at local facilities, a group of University of Toronto researchers has created a simulation based decision support tool that enables hospitals to determine the overall effect of making modifications to operating room schedules, as well as a number of other system parameters, including the number of inpatient beds and the amount of nursing time available on surgical wards.