Research Article Connie Joan Evans*, Eileen Francis Shackell, Selma Jean Kerr-Wilson, Glynda Joan Doyle, Jodie Anita McCutcheon, and Bernice Budz A Faculty Created Strategic Plan for Excellence in Nursing Education Abstract: Strategic planning for nursing education, when seen through a faculty lens creates a deeper, more mean- ingful critical analysis of effective program development. New strategies are required for academic institutions to transform their curricula to meet the needs of a dynamic healthcare and changing global environment to provide quality education for students. In this article, an evidence- informed process is presented that was progressively co-created by the faculty and facilitators. Seminal business frameworks, leadership development philosophies, and innovative interventions enabled faculty to become engaged and developed as they created a strategic plan for a future-driven nursing program. Phase One presents the process of developing a strategic plan for excellence in nursing education by leveraging faculty potential and pre- paring for an upcoming accreditation. In Phase Two, four team members from Phase One continue as part of Phase Two team serving as the collective memory for this initial work. This method of strategic planning encouraged faculty engagement and leadership and laid the groundwork for a positive culture change among nursing faculty. Keywords: innovative strategic planning, organizational change, nursing education, faculty development *Corresponding author: Connie Joan Evans, Department of Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G-3H2, Canada, E-mail: connie_evans@bcit.ca Eileen Francis Shackell: E-mail: Eilleen_Shackell@bcit.ca, Selma Jean Kerr-Wilson: E-mail: selma_kerr-wilson@bcit.ca, Glynda Joan Doyle: E-mail: glynda_doyle@bcit.ca, Jodie Anita McCutcheon: E-mail: jodie_McCutcheon@bcit.ca, Bernice Budz: E-mail: bernice_budz@bcit.ca, Department of Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G-3H2, Canada The current healthcare environment in Canada and the United States is challenging nursing academia to educate nurses who provide quality patient care within a system undergoing continuous transformation (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, & Day, 2010; Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010; Villeneuve & MacDonald, 2006). Nursing students face technological advances, higher patient acuity and complex- ity, and an expanding scope of practice (Benner et al., 2010; IOM, 2010). Recent research describes a widening theory – practice gap, new teaching and learning paradigms, finan- cial pressures, lack of clinical opportunities, and faculty shortages (Benner et al., 2010; Canadian Nurses Association [CNA] & Canadian Association Schools of Nursing [CASN], 2012; IOM, 2010; Villeneuve & MacDonald, 2006). Developing a strategic plan to transform nursing education within this climate is a daunting task. “A strategic plan based on vision, mission, values and goals, guides program delivery and scholarship and reflects societal and cultural trends” (Canadian Association Schools of Nursing [CASN], 2012, p. 14). The creation of a future- focused strategic plan that is accountable to students, nur- sing educators, patients/families, communities, and other stakeholders requires knowledge of a multitude of factors including the advancement of evidence-informed education (Emerson & Records, 2008; Kop & Hill, 2008), keeping pace with evolving healthcare trends, and the changing scope of practice for nurses (MacMillan, 2013; Villeneuve & MacDonald, 2006). The authors hypothesized that an inno- vative pluralistic approach to a critical contextual analysis of their nursing education program, developed through a grassroots faculty-led process, was essential to create a more meaningful strategic plan. The purpose of this article is to describe a creative, multi-layered, iterative process that leverages faculty engagement to develop a future-focused strategic plan for the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Method In order to increase the group’s capacity to understand the strategic planning process and ensure it was evi- dence-informed, members read numerous articles and doi 10.1515/ijnes-2013-0066 International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship 2014; 11(1): 1–11 Authenticated | glynda_doyle@bcit.ca author's copy Download Date | 2/28/14 11:33 PM