Date: Ongoing
WHO CC involvement: Michele Rumsey, Professor John Daly, Jodi Thiessen
WHO CC UTS, in collaboration with a working group of international experts, conducted research to examine and analyse the current trends of faculty development programs and/or courses for nurses and midwives in both developing and developed countries.
Drawing on findings from a faculty development needs analysis requested by WHO, a DFAT faculty development program is being developed for PNG.
The original research included an assessment survey which addressed faculty and educators’ needs in the Pacific and South East Asian regions. This survey was developed in line with the WHO Global Standards for the Initial Education of Professional Nurses and Midwives. Surveys have been collected in the South Pacific and all of the nursing and midwifery schools in Papua New Guinea.
The survey provided an overview of the faculty’s demographics, faculty’s needs, and professional development of faculty members. The aim is to provide recommendations for action in regional and global faculty development programs.
The global working group has also nurtured relationships with Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) and nursing/midwifery leaders and educators from Laos, Cambodia, China, Samoa, Philippines and PNG who have all had valuable input.
Data collected from the survey informed the countries, WHO and other policy makers regarding faculty development programs needed for the Pacific and South East Asian regions. A pilot faculty development program, developed from data collected through the survey, was implemented during the Australian Aid Australian Awards Fellowships with 20 Papua New Guinean educators.
A scaling-up strategy is required in PNG to increase the number and quality of midwifery, nursing and CHW educators in the short-medium term. In order to achieve this, the WHO CC UTS has developed a short course to further strengthen faculty capacity to include components specific to nursing, midwifery and CHW education.
This short course is in response to the urgent need for nursing, midwifery and CHW educators, preceptors, clinical tutors, student assessors to develop skills and knowledge in higher education teaching and learning.
Rumsey, M., Thiessen, J., Sayers, J., & Kassian, C. (2013). Scaling-Up Nursing through Global Nursing and Midwifery Faculty Development. Sydney: WHO CC UTS