College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC) Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI): Simulation Lab Assessment Facility Project: Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS) for Internationally Educated Practitioners (IEPs) SUMMARY OF KEY INFORMATION EOI Name: EOI Issued By: EOI Issue Date: EOI Closing Date: EOI Contact Persons: Simulation Lab Assessment Facility for Pilot CRNBC Friday March 27, 2015 Friday April 10, 2015, 9:00 AM PST Lynn Cairns, [email protected] Natasha Dookie, [email protected] (Email communication only) page 1 1.0INTRODUCTION
1.1 Company Profile The CRNBC is the regulatory body for registered nurses and nurse practitioners in B.C. The College receives its authority from the Government of B.C. through the Health Professions Act. To learn more about CRNBC, please visit their website at www.crnbc.ca 1.2 Purpose The CRNBC is issuing this request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the purpose of inviting qualified proponents to respond with a written proposal to provide a Simulation Lab to pilot Simulation Lab Assessments for Internationally Educated Practitioners (IEPs) for four nursing professions. Proponents can indicate an interest in providing a Simulation Lab to assess two nursing roles OR all four nursing roles. 1.3 Background The British Columbia Ministry of Health (MoH) is supporting the nursing community to initiate the launch of a Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS) for IEPs by March 2016. The aim of this project is to deliver and pilot a competency based assessment service, across four nursing professions that will provide an accelerated, streamlined approach to assisting IEPs as they integrate into BC’s health workplace. The nursing professions include Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Health Care Assistants (HCAs). The competency based assessment service is a two part assessment process. The first part is a computer‐based simulation‐style assessment followed by an in‐person simulation lab assessment using mannequins and standardized patients. The computer‐based simulation‐style assessment is out of scope for this EOI. The purpose of NCAS is to support the four community stakeholders to make decisions about registering Internationally Educated Practitioners (IEPs) by: 
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Determining if IEPs have competencies that are substantially equivalent to those of entry‐level practitioners educated in BC Identifying competence gaps to assist the Registry and Regulators to determine appropriate supplementary education Identifying an alternate profession/role for which the applicant has demonstrated the competencies 1.4 Scope CRNBC is seeking experienced proponents to pilot the in‐person Simulation Lab Assessments of IEPs of the four nursing professions: RN, RPN, LPN, and HCA. Proponents can indicate an interest in providing a Simulation Lab to assess two nursing roles OR all four nursing roles. The scope for this Simulation Lab Facility will assess 100 IEPs: 30 RNs, 30 LPNs, 30 HCAs, and 10 RPNs with each nursing role having four stations. The length of time for these scenarios are as follows: page 2 
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Up to 55 minutes for RPN scenarios Up to 40 minutes for RN scenarios Up to 35 minutes for LPN scenarios Up to 30 minutes for HCA scenarios Following each of these Simulation Lab Assessments, the IEPs will complete a 10 to 15 minute oral assessment. The anticipated timeframes for piloting the Simulation Lab Assessments of IEPs are as follows: a. Planning the setup of the Simulation Lab Facility: June 2015 – July 2015 b. Running of the Simulation Lab Facility: mid‐August 2015 to early October 2015 The total costs to provide the Simulation Lab Assessment facility for all four nursing roles is budgeted at a maximum of $79,000. Please see section 2.3 related to pricing requirements. The successful proponent will provide facilities for the Pilot but not necessarily for future operational facilities. 1.5 Out of Scope The following components are out of scope of this EOI: 1. The successful proponent will provide facilities for the Pilot but not necessarily for the operational facilities. 2. The computer‐based simulation‐style assessment is out of scope for this EOI. 3. CRNBC will provide an NCAS Assessment Coordinator that will be responsible for the management of: o The Assessors including refresh training prior to assessment o The Standardized Patients including SPs as the voice of the mannequin and SPs for face to face scenarios o The Standardized SP trainers including the refresh training of the SPs and dry‐runs. SP trainers will be onsite for the first day of each assessment. 4. CRNBC will provide Assessors, Standardized Patients Trainers, and Standardized Patients. 5. CRNBC will provide the tablets. 2 REQUIREMENTS
For all requirements, it is requested that the following Word Table Format be used to respond to each requirement in detail to ensure the most accurate evaluation. The Word Tables must be filled in completely providing details to how you will meet the requirement and the answers should appear in the Vendor Response section immediately after the question. You can include supplemental information, comments, graphs, and screen display examples. These attachments must be cross‐referenced to the corresponding requirement number and section. page 3 No. Requirements 1. Each Simulation Lab facility must support in‐person Simulation Lab Assessment using mannequins and standardized patients. 2. Each Simulation Lab facility must be located in the Lower Mainland. 3. Each Simulation Lab facility must conduct all assessments between mid‐August and early October 2015 to a maximum of 10 weeks. 4. Each Simulation Lab facility must be able to assess a minimum of six (6) and maximum of eight (8) IEPs per day. 5. Each Simulation Lab facility must conduct a 10 to 15 minute oral assessment after each station. See # 13‐18 below for information regarding stations. 6. Each Simulation Lab facility anticipates to be operational for no more than 10 days. 7. Each Simulation Lab facility must provide a Pilot Site Coordinator to plan and manage by providing: o Liaison with CRNBC NCAS Assessment Coordinator in preparation for assessment o Planning with CRNBC NCAS Assessment Coordinator Scheduling o Candidate management and flow through o Coordination of supplies for scenarios o Technician oversight/coordination o Ensuring assessments run smoothly throughout day o Problem solving o Tablet assignment and check for working order o Coordinate and oversee assessor re‐scoring o Coordinate dry run of scenarios o Orientation for candidates to the Simulation Lab and simulators prior to their start of the assessment 8. Each Simulation Lab must include: o Technicians for the high fidelity scenarios to operate the mannequins o Audio equipment that will allow a SP to be the voice for the mannequin o Programming of the mannequin as per the outline of the scenarios o Set up of the face to face Standardized Patient scenarios 9. Each Simulation Lab facility must provide equipment for filming as each scenario must be filmed for re‐scoring by the assessors post assessment. These films must be stored in a secure space for one year post candidate assessment. 10. Each Simulation Lab facility must provide four (4) rooms adjacent to Simulation Lab to allow assessors to conduct oral assessment after each station. 11. Each Simulation Lab facility must provide a room and equipment for the assessors to view the videos for double scoring. 12. Each Simulation Lab facility must provide a waiting area for candidates who are waiting to participate in the assessment. 13. Simulation Lab 1: Must be able to conduct 30 HCA and 10 RPN IEP candidates through Simulation Lab Assessments. Total of 40 IEP candidates. 14. Simulation Lab 1: Must be able to run four (4) HCA simulation stations concurrently: Three (3) SP face to face scenarios and one (1) high fidelity mannequin scenario. Vendor Response
page 4 No. Requirements 15. Simulation Lab 1: Must be able to run three/four (4) RPN simulation stations concurrently: Three (3) SP face to face scenarios and one (1) high fidelity mannequin scenario. 16. Simulation Lab 2: Must be able to conduct 30 LPN and 30 RN IEP candidates through Simulation Lab Assessments. Total of 60 IEP candidates. Vendor Response
17. Simulation Lab 2: Must be able to run four (4) RN simulation stations concurrently: Three (3) high fidelity mannequin scenarios and one (1) SP face to face scenario. 18. Simulation Lab 2: Must be able to run four (4) LPN simulation stations concurrently: Two (2) high fidelity mannequin scenarios, one (1) medium fidelity mannequin scenario and one (1) SP face to face scenario. 19. Based on a maximum budget of $79,000 to provide the Simulation Lab Assessment Facility and for four (4) nursing roles, please describe the pricing model. Proposals for two (2) nursing roles will also be considered. Provide all one‐ time and ongoing costs associated with the delivery of Simulation Lab 1 to assess 30 HCA and 10 RPN and/or Simulation Lab 2 to assess 30 RN and 30 LPN nursing roles including:  Costs of staffing and external resources (technicians and on‐site facilitators)  Supplies  Equipment‐ Pro‐rated cost for mannequin and equipment maintenance (8 mannequins)  Any other expenses or costs not already identified 2.1 Timelines Selection Process and Schedule The following table outlines the evaluation process to select vendors to provide two (2) Simulation Labs to assist with the piloting of Simulation Lab Assessments for IEPs. The anticipated timeline is as follows; however, actual timing and sequence of events may vary and shall ultimately be determined by CRNBC. Activity Issue EOI to Vendors EOI Responses Due Notification of Vendor Finalists to Interview Conduct Vendor finalist interviews – 2 hrs./each (in person) Select and Notify Preferred Vendors Contract Negotiations Target start date Timelines March 27, 2015 April 10, 2015 9AM PST April 13, 2015 April 20, 2015 April 23, 2015 April 23,‐ May 4, 2015 June 2015 page 5 3
ADMINISTRATIVESECTION
3.1 EOI Contact Persons CRNBC has identified the following individuals (the “EOI Contact Persons”) as the contact for all discussions on inquiries, questions and issues relating to this EOI. This is the same information noted in the Summary of Key Information. Inquiries should NOT be directed to any other person. All communication by email only. Lynn Cairns [email protected] Natasha Dookie [email protected]
Closing Date 3.2
Proposals should be submitted to the EOI Contact Person by 9:00 AM Pacific Time on Friday, April 10, 2015. Proposal Submission 3.3
Proponents should submit one electronic copy (MS Word Unlocked) to the EOI Contact Person. Proposals should be sent via email with the EOI Name in the Subject. Proposals will be opened in private after the Closing Time. 4
EVALUATIONANDSELECTIONCRITERIA
Proponents must demonstrate and articulate in their Proposal their intentions and indicate how they will fulfill the requirements of the EOI. Evaluations of the proposal will be based on the information provided in the response to determine the Proposal which is most advantageous to CRNBC, using the following evaluation criteria: 4.1
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Proponent’s compliance to all requirements ‐ Proposals not meeting all the requirements may be excluded from consideration; 
Proponent’s costs outlined in response ‐ All prices and fees referred to in Proposals should be in Canadian funds and should include all applicable taxes and charges except for Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and Goods and Services Tax (GST), which should be identified separately; 
Other criteria deemed relevant or useful to the Committee. Vendor Interviews Subsequent to the submission and evaluation of written Proposals, vendor interviews will be conducted with short listed Proponents with the Evaluation Committee. It is anticipated that these interviews will be two (2) hours in length and will be conducted on April 20, 2015. Proponents not able to participate on‐site can participate through an online conferencing solution. page 6 4.2
Additional Information The Evaluation Committee may, at its discretion, request clarifications or additional information from a Proponent with respect to its Proposal, and the Evaluation Committee may make such requests to only selected Proponents. The Evaluation Committee may consider such clarifications or additional information in evaluating Proposals. page 7