Draft Nursing Standards of Practice FSM, Palau and Marshall Islands

Purpose of the contract

The purpose of this contract is to conduct a deep research and gap analysis and develop country-specific: revised standards of practice for different levels of nursing professionals; guidelines for competence assessment; and framework for registration of new graduates, returning to practice and overseas graduates for FSM, Palau and Marshall Islands

Background

Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN) is a blend between digital networks and physical infrastructure developed in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO) and Pacific ministries of health to provide access to quality, equitable, efficient and effective e-learning platforms that support health workers to maintain relevant skills and in doing so, it enables countries to have a more sustainable and responsive skill mix.

The partnership encompasses assisting regulatory and ministerial bodies to develop relevant policies for continuing professional development (CPD) of health workforces to boost knowledge, skills, attitudes and performance of health workers across 15 Pacific island countries (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu).

POLHN develops, provides and sponsors appropriate non-credited and accredited curricula in the areas of medicine, nursing, health education and public health facilitated through various collaborative partners. These include universities, institutions, professional bodies, healthcare organisations, and research entities. This includes building and sustaining the capacity of institutions.

Overview

Following the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) commissioned Progress Report on Nursing and Midwifery (2013) highlighted the importance of nursing and midwifery services in achieving the universal health coverage.

The document underlined key practical steps that are required to strengthen the nursing and midwifery services based on current best practices globally: 1) primary health care and people-centred care; 2) policy and practice development; 3) education and career development; 4) workforce management; 5) partnerships and 6) monitoring and evaluation.

Hence, POLHN is seeking suitably qualified and experienced individual or team on behalf of Ministry of Health and WHO Division of Pacific Technical Support (DPS) to review the current standards in order and realigning nursing education, competencies and skills to optimize workforce performance in a redesigned health care system. The revised standards should reflect current, relevant, useful and contemporary nursing practice.

Logic of this assignment:

• realign nursing education, competencies and skills to optimize workforce performance in a redesigned health care system;
• demonstrate evidence-based core competencies to deliver safe client care in response to changing healthcare needs and advancement in technology;
• regulate the eligibility for registration of individuals who have undertaken and graduated with nursing from an institution within the country of practice;
• regulate the eligibility for registration of individuals who have undertaken and graduated with nursing from an institution outside the country of practice;
• determine the criteria for nurses who wish to return to practice after a period of absence; and
• determine the criteria for registration nurses awaiting disciplinary action or competency breach.

Planned timelines

Activity/Date

• Tender commencement date/ 15 January
• Last day of clarification/ 15 February
• Tender closing date / 28 February
• Shortlisting and notification/ 15 March
• Contract commencement/  propose date
• Contract closure/ 45 days after commencement date

Work to be perform

a. Research phase

• Review of the current scope of practice and roles of nurses across the country:
  • Variation of practice;
  • Impact of internal arrangement on roles and scope of practice;
  • Relevant legislation and relation.
• Extensive literature review of national and internationally published material;
• Focus group, consultation, interview, and observation to explore the variety of practice;
• Explore potential impact on the nursing workforce with the implementation of revised standards;
• Analysis of the gap between current and revised standards; and
• Strategies to bridge the gap identified during the research.
  1. Consultation phase

• First draft - internal consultation with DPS and MOH; and
• Second draft - consultation with identified stakeholders and interested key partners.
  1. Validation phase
     • Pilot implementation of the second draft; and
• Identify and rectify amendments.

b. Final report

Method(s) to carry out the activity

Desk review, deep research and consultations

Output/s

In collaboration with the POLHN, DPS and MOH the vendor will:

1. Submit work plan with timeline high lightening status of the contract;
2. Prepare discussion documents for second draft consultation;
3. Submit revised country-specific drafts:
   1. standards of practice for different levels of nursing professionals;
   2. guidelines for competence assessment; and
   3. framework for registration of new graduates, returning to practice and overseas graduates;
4. Submit comprehensive final report including:
   1. Results of research and literature review;
   2. Methodology and finding;
   3. Synchronization mechanism;
   4. Recommendations with quality evaluation tool.

Technical supervision

The selected consultant will work closely with:

Responsible Officer:      Mohammed Yasin, Technical Officer Pacific Open Learning Health Net, Pacific Health Systems and Policy, Division of Pacific Technical Support          
Email:  yasinm@who.int 

Specific requirements

• Qualifications required:              
  • Postgraduate studies in nursing, health education or medical law and ethics
• Experience required:
  • At least five years of work experience, including international work experience with specialisation in nursing standards and accreditations; and
  • Previous documented experience with developing similar nursing policies, regulations and standards is essential.
• Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:
  • Knowledge of the internationally recognised nursing competencies in clinical and public health areas; and
  • Developing intervention strategies to up skill nurses.
• Language requirements:
  • Written and spoken fluency in English is essential. Working knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage

• Communicating in a credible and effective way;
• Producing results as measurable by specific outputs;
• Moving forward in a changing environment; and
• Fostering integration and teamwork.

Location of assignment

Home-based and assignment country

Timeline and duration of assignment
The duration of the assignment is from (propose a dates with 45 days activity)

Key indicators/ Due dates