South Asian Research Journal of Nursing and Healthcare (SARJNHC)
Volume-3 | Issue-05
Review Article
Benefits and Challenges of a Quality Enhancement Cell in Nursing Education and Application of Bolman and Deal's four-frame Organization Theory: The Pakistani Perspective
Saleem Ullah, Samia Nasim, Nausheen Peerwani, Khairunnissa Hooda
Published : Sept. 30, 2021
Abstract
Quality enhancement cell and accreditation is an emerging concept in Pakistan that has a promise to incorporate quality improvement in every aspect of a nursing education. However, the concept of quality education is challenged and misunderstood from a variety of angles. A number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan has expanded over the last decade secondary to the demand for high-quality education. By maintaining the quality in different programs, the institute can opt for international standards and accreditation, and the education system can be improved. One of the ways to achieve quality in education is by establishing a Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) with the help of the QEC manual and training. The major responsibilities of a QEC include consolidating students’, and teachers’ feedback about curriculum design and delivery, carrying out self-assessment of educational programs and recommending improvement aspects of it. Introducing nursing education in Pakistan, HEC identified eleven themes such as curriculum, labs facilities, student support, faculty support, institutional support, mission statement and goals, planning and evaluation, organization and governance, integrity, assessment and quality assurance, and process control. Last but not the least, it was determined that the QEC manual, mechanism, and performance evaluate the quality of all disciplines uniformly. By aligning all quality keys on the same grid (Manual), Teacher Education Programs (TEPs) in Pakistan are indirectly supported in their efforts to improve quality. It was concluded that the Self-Assessment Manual used by QECs in Degree Awarding Institutions in Pakistan served as the basis for the qualitative analysis.