A review into the two nursing schools at the centre of the Indian nurse registration controversy is calling on both schools to introduce more “robust” and “consistent” processes for assessing overseas nursing qualifications.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has just released its findings after investigating the registered nurse to bachelor of nursing (RN-BN pathway) programmes offered by Waiariki Institute of Technology and the Universal College of Learning (UCOL).
The investigations followed publicity around Indian nurses being declined for registration by the Nursing Council, including graduates and current students of the two programmes.
NZQA found that the processes used by both institutions to recognise the previous education and clinical experience of the overseas registered nurses enrolling in the programmes were “not comprehensive enough nor were they based on good practice”.
The nursing schools and students have argued that the Council had changed the goalposts in how they assessed the three year Indian nursing diploma since the students came to New Zealand. The Nursing Council in November last year did ask NZQA to assess the educational equivalency of a diploma provided by one Indian nursing school, but it says that its overall method of assessing education standards has not changed.
Both NZQA review reports confirm that publicity material and letters sent to prospective students made it clear that completion of the bridging BN degree programmes did not lead to registration with the Nursing Council.
But they also noted that, in practice, many overseas nurses enrolled in the RN-BN pathway programme as they believed it provided them with the best opportunity to get onto a competence assessment programme (CAP), which is the last hurdle to gain registration in New Zealand (internationally-registered nurses are advised by the Nursing Council not to come to New Zealand until their registration application has been accepted – including meeting educational equivalency and English language standards – which makes them eligible to seek a place on a CAP programme.)
NZQA is requiring both institutions to provide evidence by November 30 that they have:
- Sought independent, expert advice on enhancing and improving their international admission processes,
- Reviewed their processes and practices for crediting previous study, recognising prior learning, and clinical learning to ensure they were robust and consistently applied.
In addition, NZQA has recommended that “given Waiariki’s focus on international provision” that it was “timely” for Waiariki to “undertake a broader review of its approach to international export education”.
Tim Fowler, NZQA Deputy Chief Executive Quality Assurance, said the two reviews findings, combined with the range of solutions already put in place for students would “ensure that there can be confidence that students will meet and achieve the required education standards for registration as a nurse in New Zealand”.
In late July, it was announced by the Nursing Council and institutions that a pathway to registration was being offered to the graduates and current students of the two RN-BN pathway programmes, if they passed additional clinical assessment courses. Both institutions have stopped offering the RN-BN pathway programmes, with UCOL’s last intake getting underway in May this year.
UCOL has had 270 international graduates and students of its RN to BN programme since 2010. Waiariki has had 407 students through its programme since 2007 and currently has 122 students. To date, it is not known how many of the graduates have had their applications for educational equivalency declined or accepted.
Look out for a more detailed report and comment in our upcoming print edition.
