STANDARDS FOR NURSING

EDUCATION PROGRAMS (2007)

STANDARD I: PROGRAM PLAN
There is a comprehensive plan for the program that:
a) Identifies the health needs of Manitobans, the
support for and interest in the nursing education
program, the present and future student enrollment,
the need for nursing education graduates,
and stakeholder consultation.
b) Identifies the relationship of the practice of
nursing to the practice of other health care professions.
c) Describes the philosophical foundation on
which the program is based including beliefs
about:
• students;
• teaching and learning that reflect current
and emerging trends in adult learning;
and,
• professional nursing practice that is congruent
with the Standards of Practice for
Registered Nurses.
d) Includes a conceptual framework that guides the
development and implementation of the curriculum.
e) Reflects congruence among the philosophy, conceptual
framework and the curriculum.
f) Describes the organization and roles of program
personnel and students.
g) Identifies criteria and methods for:
• selection and admission of students;
• academic progression through the program;
• appeals;
• grievances;
• management of student practice and conduct
issues; and,
• performance evaluation of faculty.
h) Ensures students have current immunizations,
have had a satisfactory criminal record check
and satisfactory child abuse registry check as
well as hold documentation of current cardiac
life support training from an official provider.
i) Includes submission of a letter of intent to the
College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba prior
to offering a new nursing education program or
course of instruction or implementing substantive
changes to existing programs. This includes
changes in program philosophy, conceptual
framework, goals, curriculum, program implementation,
program length, or significant
changes in resources (fiscal, clinical, etc.) that
will have a direct impact on a school's ability to
implement the program.
j) Includes submission of an annual report to the
College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba by
June 1 of each year outlining the following
activities:
• program, school and faculty achievements;
• goals/strategic initiatives for the program's
immediate future;
• content and / or delivery changes which
reflect current trends;
• any challenges in meeting program objectives
at the educational institution;
• attrition and graduation numbers and
analysis as well as waiting lists of students
for the program; and,
• any other information deemed important
by the nursing program and/or requested
by the College of Registered Nurses of
Manitoba.
C M College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba
STANDARD II: THE CURRICULUM
The curriculum is congruent with the philosophy of the
program, Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses or
the Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses on the
Extended Practice Register, the Code of Ethics for
Registered Nurses and the Entry Level Competencies for
Registered Nurses or Competencies for the Registered
Nurse (Extended Practice) RN(EP) Register.
The curriculum:
a) Prepares graduate nurses to consistently practice
safely, competently, and ethically along the continuum
of health care in situations of health and
illness with people of all ages and genders in a
variety of health care environments.
b) Exposes students to learning experiences and
clinical learning activities to provide sufficient
opportunities to meet the designated program
outcomes and entry level competencies.
Programs preparing a graduate for initial entry to
practice must include at least 1000 clinical practice
hours prior to the senior practicum for programs
leading to initial registration. (As an
appendix submit how each of the Entry Level
Competencies for RNs in Manitoba will be
addressed.) Programs leading to registration on
the Extended Practice register must include at
least 300 clinical hours prior to the practicum.
(As an appendix submit how each of the
Competencies for the RN(EP) Register will be
addressed).
c) Is responsive to and reflects current trends in:
health and wellness, legal and ethical considerations,
diversity in client populations, evidencebased
nursing practice, education and research,
health service delivery, and society.
d) Identifies the processes whereby students learn
about self-regulation and fitness to practice.
e) Flows from the philosophy and has clear objectives,
outcomes and goals with congruent learning
experiences.
f) Demonstrates logical timing and sequencing of
content and process.
g) Includes courses from the biological and physical
sciences, the behavioral or social sciences or
both, and the humanities. For re-entry programs
leading to reinstatement on the practicing register,
includes content if not discrete courses in
these areas.
h) Outlines course content, objectives, learning
activities, and student evaluation methods in a
manner that is consistent throughout the program.
i) Includes interprofessional learning opportunities.
j) Consolidates theory with nursing practice, and
allows the students to demonstrate the roles,
functions and responsibilities of a new graduate
about to enter practice through a full time clinical
preceptorship with actual clients (individuals,
groups or communities) at the end of the
nursing education program that is a minimum of:
450 clinical hours for programs leading to initial
registration or 400 clinical hours for programs
leading to registration on the Registered Nurse
(Extended Practice) RN(EP) register. For reentry
programs leading to re-instatement on the
practicing register there is a minimum 150 clinical
hours with an appendix showing how the
Entry Level Competencies for Registered Nurses
in Manitoba are addressed.
STANDARD III: RESOURCES
There are sufficient human, clinical, physical, fiscal, and
support resources to sustain the program.
a) The nursing faculty to student ratio in the clinical
settings is sufficient to ensure optimum student
learning and safe client care.
b) The size and composition of the faculty is sufficient
to provide teaching and guidance to students
to ensure student progress to practicereadiness
and meeting the entry level competencies
and standards of practice for registered nurses.
c) Nursing faculty possess the theoretical nursing
knowledge and clinical expertise appropriate to
their teaching responsibilities. Faculty who
teach in clinical areas are involved in the planning
and evaluation of the curriculum.
d) There is access to support services for students
including learning support services, personal
counseling, academic counseling, student health
services, learning resources, and financial aid.
e) There are physical resources to support student
learning including libraries and electronic access
to information, nursing skills (including simulation)
and computer laboratories and a variety of
learning modalities.
2 STANDARDS FOR NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAMS (2007)
COLLEGE OF REGISTERED NURSES OF MANITOBA 3
STANDARD IV: PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
Graduates of the program meet the Entry Level
Competencies for Registered Nurses or the Competencies
for the Registered Nurse (Extended Practice) RN(EP)
and the Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses or
the Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses on the
Extended Practice Register and there are formal systems
and processes in place to measure program effectiveness
including:
a) Systematic and continuous evaluation of all curriculum
components including content, learning
activities, student evaluation methods and designated
program outcomes to ensure the ongoing
development, maintenance, and enhancement
of the curriculum. Revisions are made that allow
the program to keep current with changes in
health care and health care economics, trends in
health care delivery systems, trends in education,
societal changes, and changing expectations
of the registered nurse.
b) Methods to document and examine the relationship
among admission requirements, student
attrition and success. There is evidence that
changes are made based on these findings.
c) Using tracking and systems analysis of errors,
adverse events and near-misses by students during
clinical education with results used to inform
change.
d) Data are collected and trends analyzed of the
number and percentage of graduates who passed
the registration examinations with results used
to inform change to educational program and
health care system.
e) Satisfaction of employers, nurse managers or
nursing practice leaders that the graduates meet
the Entry Level Competencies for Registered
Nurses in Manitoba or the Competencies for
Registered Nurse (Extended Practice) RN(EP)
Register and professional requirements for the
practice setting.
f) After a period of employment, graduates are satisfied
that their education prepared them to
achieve the standards for professional practice.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Adverse event: An unintended injury or complication
that results in disability at the time of discharge,
death, or prolonged hospital stay and that is
caused by health care management rather than the
patient's underlying disease process (Baker et al
(2004) The Canadian adverse events study: The
incidence of adverse events among hospital patients
in Canada. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association
Journal, 170 (11), 1678-1686.
Attrition: Reflects two groups of individuals:
1. Those students who due to academic failure in
the nursing program are required to withdraw
from the program and are not eligible to return.
2. Those students who discover that their desire to
become a nurse has changed and leave the program
to undertake studies in another profession
or program. Students who encounter a program
extension are not classified as attrition numbers
at least until one academic year after the semester
they withdrew from has been completed (i.e.
equivalent to four academic semesters) (CASN
Position Statement on Student Attrition, 2004).
Clinical practice hours: Describes activities beyond
the learning lab in a variety of settings but may
include clinical experiences of an observational
nature such as observation of a public health nurse
conducting a post-natal home visit.
Course of instruction: A nursing refresher, remedial,
re-entry or up-grading course or program approved
by the board and includes an educational course or
program designed specifically for an individual
(Registered Nurses Regulation, 2001).
Nursing education program: A program delivered
at a Manitoba university or college established under
The Colleges Act that is approved by the board as a
prerequisite for registration as a registered nurse and
that provides graduates with the competencies set
out in the document Entry Level Competencies for
Registered Nurses in Manitoba…and meets the standards
for a nursing education program…(Registered
Nurses Regulation 2001).
4 STANDARDS FOR NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAMS (2007)