Pictured here are Michelle Brown, a member of the Critical Care Nursing steering committee and project manager for IT Services; Debby Morrison, a professor with the School of Health & Community Services; Marie McEwan, a lab simulation specialist; Sandra Goldsworthy, a professor and co-ordinator of the Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Graduate Certificate program; and Leslie Graham, a third-level reviewer and professor, all with Durham College; Marsha Pinto, a project officer with the Critical Care Secretariat; and Dr. Bernard Lawless, provincial lead for Critical Care and Trauma, both with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, as they cut a cake in celebration of recent announcement of the new Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Graduate Certificate program at Durham College.
With one small step for Durham College and a giant leap for nurses across Ontario looking to upgrade and expand their critical nursing skills on their own time, at their own pace, and at a location of their choosing, Durham College recently celebrated the launch of its new Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Graduate Certificate program.
On Monday, June 4, faculty from the School of Health & Community Services joined members of the Durham College community; Leah Myers, president of Durham College; Judy Robinson, dean of the School of Health & Community Services; Sandra Goldsworthy, a nursing professor and co-ordinator of the program; and representatives from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Humber River Hospital, Lakeridge Health Oshawa, Markham Stouffville Hospital, Rouge Valley Health System, Elsevier and Laerdal, to celebrate the official announcement of the program, which was made in May.
Funded through a $1-million contract from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Graduate Certificate program consists of three components - e-learning course-work, simulation practice and on-the-job supervised experience in a critical care setting. In addition, it provides the opportunity for current and future critical care nurses to study on a full- or part-time basis and learn from internationally recognized teaching experts while meeting or exceeding the latest provincial standards for critical care.
"This is definitely a step forward," said Dr. Bernard Lawless, provincial lead for Critical Care and Trauma for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, who attended the event with Marsha Pinto, a project officer with the ministry's Critical Care Secretariat. "It's the integration of how nurses are trained, the standards we currently have and the standards we will work towards."
All registered nurses in Ontario in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario are eligible to apply to the program. Upon successful completion of course requirements, a Level 2 or 3 Critical Care Certificate is awarded.
Students learn topics such as the foundations of critical care, advanced health assessment, the management of the critically ill patient (respiratory, neuro, renal and endoncrine) and partake in critical care simulations.