[kictanet] How to Upgrade 22,000 Nurses in Kenya

[Harry Hare]

Dear Colleagues,
 
As we debate the CCK report its also important to reflect on other
successful initiative in the country. On such initiative is a partnership
between AMREF, the Nursing Council of Kenya and Accenture, a global
management consultancy, technology services, and outsourcing company, where
22,000 nurses will have an opportunity of continuous professional
development through ICT or if you like eLearning. I wonder how many such
initiatives are taking root albeit quietly in the country. Congratulations
are in order to both AMREF and the Nursing Council of Kenya for this effort.
 
Kindest Regards
Harry
 
 
http://www.checkpoint-elearning.com/article/3925.html
 
How to Upgrade 22,000 Nurses in Kenya Nairobi (KEN), May 2007 - In a
public-private partnership, Accenture and the African Medical and Research
Foundation (AMREF) have developed the Kenya Nurses Training Program.
eLearning Program Manager Adesuwa Akinboro from AMREF will present this very
successful case study in the conference section "Online Learning
Opportunities for Health Professionals". 

How did the cooperation with Accenture come to be? 

Adesuwa Akinboro: AMREF and the Nursing Council of Kenya have been involved
in the training of nurses for over five years now. Initially, this was
through the distance education print-based mode. However, due to the chronic
nurse shortage, the need to accelerate the training of health workers arose.


AMREF approached Accenture, a global management consultancy, technology
services, and outsourcing company with many years of experience in eLearning
for a solution. Together, AMREF, Accenture, and the Nursing Council of Kenya
designed a solution to address the chronic shortage of registered nurses in
the country. 

Could you please describe the outline of the program? 

Adesuwa Akinboro: Twenty-seven nursing schools are currently implementing
the program. Their role is to enrol the students, who are drawn from
hospitals, health centers, non-governmental organisations, and from the
general population. The students must meet the following requirements: 
*	A community health nurse certificate (ECHN); 
*	Furthermore, government employees should have more than three years
of service.
Once enrolled, the students take the course at their places of work on
computers that are installed and maintained by AMREF. The program currently
has 100 of these centers equipped with a total of 340 computers. These
include hospitals and medical training colleges. The eLearning centers have
an AMREF trained mentor whose responsibility is to assist the students
during their clinical placements and to serve as the first level of computer
help-desk support. 

The upgrading program is structured into four modules. Every module consists
of several units with two self-tests in each module. In addition to the
self-tests, the schools administer a written exam at the end of each module
and a final exam at the end of the course. The school also monitors student
progress on an ongoing basis. 

The need for practical experience cannot be over emphasised. The program
requires that all students receive practical experience at approved
hospitals, and this is one of its strengths since it allows students to put
into practice the knowledge they will have acquired almost immediately. 

What has been the most important experience? Which obstacles did you have to
overcome? 

Adesuwa Akinboro: This has been a very exciting program. It has motivated
the nurses enrolled in their provision of health services across the
country. The nurse managers have also noted and commented on the improved
service delivery as a result of the eLearning programme. In addition, it has
enabled many nurses who previously did not have the opportunity to take the
course to do so. 

Such multi-faceted national level programs will encounter obstacles in
implementation, particularly when they contain such innovative components.
The program has a strong risk management strategy in place and thus
mitigates the following risks and challenges: 
*	The need for internet access, connectivity, and IT infrastructure in
the hospitals where the nurses work. AMREF has provided computers but is
currently looking into the connectivity issue. 
*	The release of students from hospitals to take up the training,
since nurse managers initially did not quite grasp the benefits that
eLearning can bring. 
*	The fees charged by schools. As you might expect, the cost of taking
the course should be less than that of a residential course. This has not
always been the case. Through stakeholder sensitisation, this is gradually
being achieved. 
*	Policy issues: there is the need to integrate eLearning into the
training policy for health workers. 
*	Stakeholder identification and involvement is crucial to ensuring
their participation support and continued buy-in. 
So far over 2,000 student nurses have been enrolled for the eLearning
courses. Can you tell us any success stories? 

Adesuwa Akinboro: Through our monitoring and evaluation exercises, we have
received feedback from nurse managers regarding improvement in the quality
of care provided by the trainee nurses. The managers have attributed this to
the eLearning course. In addition, nurses have broadened their managerial
and technical knowledge and acquired IT skills. 

This has enhanced their confidence and motivation. The program has enabled
more nurses to enroll than was previously possible with the residential
programme. Some nurses who previously could not get admitted to the course
due to the limited number of places available and who have tried for over
ten years have finally been able to enroll. The uptake of the program by
students, schools, and hospitals has been overwhelming. 

Many more nurses need to be trained. What are the next steps that need to be
taken? 

Adesuwa Akinboro: A core component of this program is skills transfer and as
such, the partnership has built up the capabilities of AMREF, the Nursing
Council of Kenya, and the schools, including through a bespoke training
programme delivered by Accenture Learning. The eLearning model can be used
to train other cadres of health workers even to the degree level. 

We now cover all of the country's eight provinces. This infrastructure is
capable of training the remaining nurses. We also intend to hook up the
centers to the Internet so that we can improve communication and access to
information, encourage collaboration among students, improve data
management, and get the most out of our Learning Management System. 

Will the cooperation between AMREF and Accenture continue? 

Adesuwa Akinboro: Yes, the cooperation will continue. As a result of this
program, AMREF and Accenture have extended the partnership to include other
organizational areas such as strategic support. Furthermore, discussions are
also underway that will allow replication of the program in other African
nations. This is indeed just the beginning and an excellent example of
North-to-South cooperation and of a public-private partnership.

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