AMREF eLearning Nursing Upgrade, Kenya

Programme Title: AMREF

KECHN (Kenya Enrolled Community Health Nurse) Certificate to KRCHN (Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse) Diploma eLearning Upgrading Programme

Programme Overview

Global Location(s)

Kenya

Provider Nation

Kenya

Partner Nation(s)

None

Provider Institution

AMREF; AVNS (AMREF Virtual Nursing School)

Partner Institutions (e.g. technical support, donors, funders)

Nursing Council of Kenya, plus associated teaching hospitals;

Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. (The programme is a public-private partnership with the Nursing Council of Kenya, AMREF, Accenture, the Kenya Medical Training College and its constituent colleges, several private and faith-based nursing schools and the Ministry of Health in Kenya)

Programme Details

Year of Commencement

eLearning upgrading programme - Sept 2005. Set up in response to constraints experienced in classroom based learning and paper based distance learning which was initiated in 2004 to upgrade nurses.

AVNS was setup in 2007, part way through the eLearning programme, in response to a need for practical solutions to challenges faced by nursing schools which had adopted the methodology developed by AMREF. It is an environment where best practices can be observed and any challenges overcome in order to feedback into the wider eLearning programme.

Target Audience

Kenya Enrolled Community Health Nurses (Certificate holders) currently working in the Kenyan health system.

Content

Content is grouped into 4 modules:

1.       General Nursing: Professionalism and fundamentals in nursing; adult nursing; paediatric nursing; Intensive care nursing; theatre nursing; Geriatric nursing and introduction to bio-medical sciences.

2.       Midwifery and reproductive health

3.       Community health nursing

4.       Specialized areas in nursing: Psychiatric nursing; teaching methodology; introduction to research; sociology and nursing management

Duration of Study

2 years (minimum)

Structure of Study

While continuing with their routine professional activities, students study the 4 modules in the following sequence:

·         Module 1: General Nursing

·         Module 2: Midwifery

·         Module 3: Community Health

·         Module 4: Specialised areas in nursing

The programme commences with a one-week induction period, including information, communication technology training.

Each module involves 6 months of distance-based self-study to complete, including elements of clinical practice at the workplace. Each module is accompanied by 2 weeks of face-to-face residential tutorials, plus 2 telephone tutorials.

Assessment on each module includes: 4 emailed assignments; mid-module examinations; end of module examinations. Both mid and end module exams have computer based and written exams.

In addition to completion of the modules of study, they are expected to complete 42 weeks of clinical practice during the modules.  

Once the course is completed students sit the NCK ‘Basic Kenyan Registered Community Health Nursing Exam’.

Course fees

Fees are set by individual teaching schools and range between: 

Public:           US$354 - $480 per module

Private:          US$615 - $846 per module

Faith based: US$538 - $692 per module

AVNS:           US$1500 (whole course)

Overall programme funding/cost recovery mechanisms

Programme development process included donor funding:

·         Accenture: USD $3.1m ($1.9m cash and $1.2m pro bono contribution of expertise).

AVNS includes donor funding:

·         Flying Doctors Society of Africa: USD $20,000 per year;

·         The Fresenius Foundation: supported staff salaries plus specialist resources;

·         PSO: production of DVDs; procurement of laptops

Student Fees: Fees vary (see above), AVNS charges USD $1500. Fees go directly to then nursing schools (some nurses are funded by their employer, e.g. Kenyatta National Hospital).

Delivery Mechanisms

Provision of materials

Teaching and learning materials provided on CD-ROMS; Other documents (e.g. NCK Clinical Logbooks; Portfolio; Clinical Practicum) are provided in hard copy during the programme induction, and nursing clinical procedures DVDs are held in the eLearning centres. AVNS is piloting the distribution of reconditioned laptops to students.

Academic support

Students are based at one of 32 medical training hospitals and nursing schools around the country, using 105 regional training centres (provided with computers). They receive 2 weeks of face-to-face residential tutorials for each module (i.e. 2 weeks for every 6 months of study).

Supplementary academic support includes:

·         2 telephone tutorials per module;

·         local face-to-face instructors at local nursing school or teaching hospital;

·         academic reminders via Mobile SMS text;

·         written feedback on module assignments

·         access to the AMREF Resource Centre for print and online materials

·         E-mail tutorials

The total number of tutors and mentors in the eLearning Programme now stands at over 400. These are drawn from 32 schools across the country and were trained in IT skills and eLearning implementation. Mentors comprise of mostly registered nurses working in health facilities. During the Training of Trainers (TOT) sessions, mentors are trained to assist the student nurses in the course of their training.

Administrative support

Administrative support includes:

·         administrative updates sent via Mobile SMS text;

·         telephone and email enquiry support and referral from AVNS Administrative Office

·         local and national specialist IT support to AMREF students for laptop problems

·         provision of limited numbers of recycled laptops to selected students

Participants’ Profile

Geographical spread of enrolees

Students are based across the country, including rural areas without internet connectivity.

Number of enrolments per year

The upgrading of nurses to diploma level via paper-based distance learning commenced in 2004 while the eLearning Programme started in September 2005. From a position in 2005 with the majority enrolling for print learning, by 2006, eLearning was the preferred mode of distance learning and by March 2010, 91% of nurses opted for eLearning.

Number of intakes per annum: 2                                                        

The number of students per intake varies. In March 2010, 467 students enrolled in the eLearning programme across Kenya (including AVNS) while 47 enrolled in the paper based distance learning upgrade programme

Total number who have enrolled as of March 2010:

-          eLearning (since 2005):           3,818

-          paper based DL (since 2004): 2,949

Total number currently in the programme (both eLearning and paper based):                                        4,901

Total number completed (graduated) the programme to date (both eLearning and paper based): 1,866[1]

Details of fee payment among enrolees

Students are required to pay the fees ($1500 – this varies slightly from institution to institution as they are paid directly to nursing schools). Some facilities pay the fees for the nurses (e.g. Kenyatta National Hospital). In response to the identification of the cost being a barrier to enrolment, AVNS is in the process of setting up a scholarship scheme.

Alumni Activities

Occupations

(All DL alumni)

Nursing public institutions, NGOs, private institutions, faith-based institutions across all districts of Kenya (rural and urban). Anecdotal evidence is suggested that upgraded nurses are beginning to be given greater responsibilities in some institutions.

References

Institutional URL:

http://www.amref.org/

Reference documents:

Nguku (2009) Nursing The Future: eLearning and clinical care in Kenya, Africa Research Institute, London;

AMREF Annual Programme Reports 2007; 2008; 2009; AMREF, Kenya;

Presentation: David Maingi AMREF 2006

Other

Personal correspondence: Angela Nguku AMREF 2010; Jennifer Stobart AMREF 2010; Caroline Mbindyo AMREF 2010;