The distance-learning programme in nursing offered by the School of Nursing at the UWI, Mona campus, in collaboration with the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education and the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Ryerson University in Canada has received the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) Award of Excellence and Innovation in Partnership/Collaboration. The award was presented at the CNIE conference in Ottawa earlier this month.

The award is for their development of the distance-learning programme for nursing, which allows nurses in the Caribbean to pursue a Post-RN degree without having to migrate to another country.

increasing access

The programme aims to decrease the nursing shortage in the region by increasing access to nursing education in under-served regions. The flexible distance-delivery model lowers the cost of learning, increases accessibility to quality education by allowing students to continue working full-time, and eliminates the need to travel or relocate in order to upgrade qualifications. In addition, this model also contributes to producing nurses who can provide leadership and mentorship in the nursing community and, most importantly, improve the quality of nursing care.

access across region

Consistent with the project's goal of promoting regional retention of qualified graduates, more than 235 registered nurses are currently enrolled throughout 12 countries, including Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grand Cayman, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, Turks & Caicos Islands and Trinidad & Tobago.

Participation in this initiative has developed the distance-education experience and knowledge in the UWI faculty so that they may further enhance the nursing programme independently of the Chang School support. It will also enable registered nurses in the Caribbean to obtain their baccalaureate degrees, as is now required through a regional governmental agreement; combat the trend of migration by Caribbean nurses in search of educational opportunities and thereby improve the nursing capacity in the Caribbean; and increase the pool of nurses with baccalaureate degrees from which educators and other specialists can be established to serve the next generation of nurses in the Caribbean.