Nursing Education in Canada: Historical Review and Current Capacity This report is part of an overall project entitled Building the Future: An integrated strategy for nursing human resources in Canada. Nursing Education in Canada: Historical Review and Current Capacity © 2004 The work in this publication was provided to The Nursing Sector Study Corporation courtesy of/or under licence from the respective authors. Publisher The Nursing Sector Study Corporation Authors Dorothy Pringle PhD, MS, BScN Linda Green EdD (c), MEd, BA Stacey Johnson, BScN Editor Maude Downey Designer Maude Downey Cover Zed Communications Project The Nursing Sector Study Corporation Management 99 Fifth Avenue, Suite 10 Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5K4 Phone (613) 233-1950 E-mail [email protected] Website www.buildingthefuture.ca Nursing Education in Canada: Historical Review and Current Capacity (English, PDF) ISBN 0-9734932-8-3 Également disponible en français sous le titre: L'enseignement des soins infirmiers au Canada : historique et capacité actuelle (document en français, PDF). ISBN 0-9734932-9-1 This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada. The opinions and interpretation in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada. Nursing Education in Canada: Historical Review and Current Capacity Table of Contents Preface..........................................................................................................................................................v Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................1 1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................7 2. Methods .................................................................................................................................................8 2.1. Consultations with Stakeholders — History of Nursing ..............................................................8 2.2. Surveys of Schools of Nursing — Capacity of Schools ...............................................................9 Table 1. Response Rates for RNs, LPNs, and RPNs ..............................................................................11 2.3. Literature Review — Educational Capacity and Trends ............................................................11 2.4. Focus Groups — Under-represented Groups..............................................................................12 2.4.1. Target Group .................................................................................................................12 2.4.2. Data Collection..............................................................................................................12 2.4.3. Recruitment ...................................................................................................................12 2.4.4. Participants ....................................................................................................................13 2.4.5. Data Analysis.................................................................................................................14 3. History of Nursing Education in Canada.........................................................................................15 3.1. History of RN Education in Canada ...........................................................................................15 3.1.1. Origins in English and French Canada ..........................................................................15 3.1.2. University-based nursing education ..............................................................................15 3.1.3. From Hospitals to Education Sector..............................................................................16 3.1.4. The Development of the Entry to Practice Initiative .....................................................17 3.1.4.a. British Columbia...............................................................................................17 3.1.4.b. New Brunswick ................................................................................................20 3.1.4.c. Prince Edward Island ........................................................................................21 3.1.4.d. Ontario..............................................................................................................22 3.1.4.e. Quebec ..............................................................................................................23 3.1.4.f. Other Provinces/territories ................................................................................23 3.2. History of LPN Education in Canada .........................................................................................24 3.2.1. Phase 1: The Establishment of Educational Programs ..................................................24 3.2.2. Phase 2: The Evolution of Educational Programs .........................................................27 3.2.3. Phase 3: Expansion of Practical Nurses’ Scope of Practice (1990 and onward)...........28 3.3. History of RPN Education in Canada.........................................................................................31 3.3.1. The Pre-nursing Phase, 1886–1920 ...............................................................................31 3.3.2. The Developmental Phase, 1920–1960 .........................................................................32 3.3.3. The Transition Phase, 1960–2000 .................................................................................33 3.3.4. The Educational Options Phase, 2000...........................................................................35 4. Nursing Education in Canada and Key Source Countries .............................................................39 Table 2. Overview of RN Programs, in Canada and Source Countries.................................................40 Table 3. Overview of LPN Programs, in Canada and Source Countries...............................................41 Table 4. Overview of RPN Programs, in Canada and Source Countries ..............................................41 5. RN Education and Capacity — Survey Findings ............................................................................42 Table 5. Regional Response Rates to Survey Questionnaire, RNs.........................................................42 5.1. Types of Programs That Prepare RNs ........................................................................................42 5.2. Student Admission and Enrolment, RNs....................................................................................43 5.2.1. Admissions, 2002, 2003 ................................................................................................43 5.2.2. Gender Profile of Admitted Students ............................................................................44 5.2.3. Admission Targets.........................................................................................................44 Table 6. Admission Targets and Success in Meeting Them, 2001–2003, RNs.......................................44 Building the Future: An integrated strategy for nursing human resources Page i Nursing Education in Canada: Historical Review and Current Capacity 5.2.4. Enrolment Targets .........................................................................................................44 Table 7. Total Full-time Students Enrolments Across all Program Years, RNs ....................................45 Table 8. Total Part-time Student Enrolments Across All Years, RNs ....................................................45 5.2.5. Aboriginal Students .......................................................................................................45 5.2.6. Retention Rates..............................................................................................................46 Table 9. Retention Rates for Classes Entering in 1998 and 1999, RNs .................................................46 5.3. Resources to Maintain or Increase Enrolment, RNs...................................................................46 Table 10. Capacity of Schools to Maintain Current Enrolment, RNs......................................................47 Table 11. Capacity of Schools to Increase Enrolment by 10%, RNs .......................................................49 Table 12. Capacity of Schools to Increase Enrolment by 25%, RNs .......................................................50 Table 13. Capacity of Schools to Increase Enrolment by 50%, RNs .......................................................51 Table 14. Capacity of Schools to Increase Enrolment by 100%, RNs .....................................................52 5.3.1. Summary of Capacity to Increase Enrolments ..............................................................53 Table 15. Summary of Capacity of Schools to Expand by 10%–100%....................................................53 5.3.2. Preferred Number of Students .......................................................................................53 5.4. Faculty Recruitment, RNs ..........................................................................................................54 Table 16. Number and Type of Faculty Positions Available in 2003.......................................................54 5.4.1. Full-time