Presentation used at the #2012waic Conference - Ghent, Belgium

1. A collaborative initiative towards
educational excellence:
an AI approach
Dr Isabel Coetzee
Department of Nursing Science
WAIC Gent 2012
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2. South Africa has the “Big Five”
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4. University of Pretoria: South Africa
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5. University of Pretoria: South Africa
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6. Challenges facing nursing education
√ A key challenges for nursing education is to prepare
students for the rapidly changing health care arena
√ The education and training of nurses must be
anchored within the local health systems
√ Customized to meet the needs of patients, their
families and the community
√ Nurse to patient ratio is 1:541
√ Doctor to patient ratio is 1:1200
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7. Context of the study
√ Government funded NEI in the Gauteng province SA
√1200 pre-graduate and 200 post-basic enrolled students
√ Lecturer to student ratio 1: 163
√ Pre-graduate students must do 350 hours of theory and
1000 practica hours per year.
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8. Context of the study
√ The pre-graduate programme consists of a integrated
programme leading to qualifications in:
• General nursing
• Midwifery
• Psychiatric nursing
• Community nursing
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9. Problem statement
√ The researcher is a external moderator for at the NEI
√ The overall pass rate of fourth year students was 50%
√ This necessitated further investigation and identification of
challenge pertaining to academic outcomes of the students
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10. Programme Evaluation
“If you do what you've always done you'll
get what you always got”
- Mark Twain-

11. The only voyage of discovery ,exists not in seeing new
landscapes, but in having new eyes.
-Marcel Proust-

12. The good
Positive
Philosophy “BIAS” The better Organisation
Individual
The exceptional
Powerful
Approach Organisational
Purposeful change
AI Appreciate
Model of
change
Dream, design and
Positively
influence
Internal motivation create a collective
Constructive vision and action plan
Positive attitude
inquiry process
Co-operation to reach a co-
Value constructed future
Technique

13. Discover
Appreciate
Deliver What is best?
Dream
Strategic plan
Envision
What must be? Positive core
What might
be?
Co-construct
What should
be?
Design

14. Aim of the study
(E)valuation of the pre-graduate
nursing programme
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15. Study objectives
√ Objective 1: Discover “what is” in collaboration with the
stakeholders involved in the pre-graduate nursing
programme
√ Objective 2: Dream “what could be” within the pre-
graduate nursing programme
√ Objective 3: Design “what should be” within the pre-
graduate nursing programme
√ Objective 4: Deliver “what must be” implemented to
move the pre-graduate nursing programme towards a co-
constructed vision

16. Method
√ Phase 1: Explore
• Objective 1: Discover “what is”
• Objective 2: Dream “what could be”
• Objective 3: Design “what should be”
√ Phase 2: Develop
• Objective 4: Deliver “what must be”
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17. Sample
A total of 245 participants agreed to engage in this research
over a period of five months and included:
√ Nurse managers (8)
√ Nurse educators (35)
√ 3rd year students (77)
√ 4th year students (133)

18. Data collection
Self reported narrative interview schedule
√ Reflecting back on the pre-graduate programme what was your
most satisfying/peak experience? (Discover)
√ What are your wishes for the pre-graduate programme? (Dream)
√ What is your vision for the pre-graduate programme? (Design)

19. Research results
Discover “what is?”
√ Nurse educators peak experiences
• Sense of achievement
√ Nursing students peak experiences
• Positive learning experience
• Sense of achievement
• Nurse educators support

20. Research findings
Dream “what could be?”
√Nurse educators wished for:
• Student numbers to be reduced
• Reduction in workload
• Restructuring of the programme
√Nursing students wished for:
• Reduced workload
• Study leave before exams
• Optimal resources

21. Research findings
Design “what should be?”
√ Nurse educators envisioned a programme:
• where students could choose an area of speciality
• that ensures quality education and training-
• deliver knowledgeable and skilled nurse practitioners

22. Research findings
Design “what should be?”
√Nursing students envisioned a programme
• where students are able to choose area of speciality
• that ensures quality education and training
• that delivers knowledgeable and skilled nurse practitioners
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23. Deliver “what must be?”
A strategic plan was co-constructed based on the three main themes which
derived during the analysis of the narrative data
• Theme 1: Quality education and training
• Theme 2: Institutional management
• Theme 3: Institutional resources
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24. “If you don’t care where you’re going, then it
doesn’t matter which way you go”.
-Lewis Carroll-
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25. Great vision precedes great
achievement
-John C Maxwell (2001:91)-

26. Thank you for your attendance
isabel.coetzee@up.ac.za
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