Representatives from 10 post-secondary institutions across Ontario will be on campus this weekend to receive hands-on, specialized critical care simulation training from Durham College professors.
Durham College is hosting a conference as part of the latest phase in the roll out of its Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Graduate Certificate from Friday, October 12 to Sunday, October 14. The new cutting-edge program for current or future critical care nurses resulted from a $1-million contract that was awarded to Durham College by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in its continued efforts to improve the quality of nursing care.
Representatives from 10 post-secondary institutions across Ontario will be on campus this weekend to receive hands-on, specialized critical care simulation training from Durham College professors.
Conference attendees will be in Durham College's state-of-the-art, 5,700-square-foot Simulation Lab to learn how to teach the hands-on simulation component of the graduate certificate program so training can be done on their own campuses. The lab provides a virtual learning experience featuring human-like simulators that portray various ailments and critical health problems. It also uses program-specific software to simulate case scenarios reflective of a clinical setting.
The first 80 students enrolled in the nursing e-learning program in September and will access five theoretical courses via Internet, enabling them to learn at their own pace - regardless of their geography or work schedule. Upon completing the theory courses, they participate in hands-on simulation training at Durham College or at one of the partner institutions receiving training this weekend. The last part of the program has students complete their learning by gaining on-the-job experience in a critical care setting of their choice under the direct supervision of an experienced critical care nurse preceptor.
The provincial government predicts a steady increase in the demand for critical care services over the next 20 years as Ontario's population continues to grow and age. With this demographic shift in mind, Durham College's E-Learning Graduate Certificate program will help meet this demand and has the potential to improve patient care and reduce hospital wait times province-wide.