Durham College's innovative Critical Care Nursing E-Learning program, highly advanced simulation labs, and exceptional faculty have been drawing the attention of nursing faculty nationwide.
Faculty members from the School of Health and Community Services conveyed to the world the high calibre of technology, teaching and learning in nursing at Durham College as they attended national and international conferences this fall.
Members of the School of Health and Community Services and the Innovation Centre presented at the international conference, World E-Learn 2007, from October 15 to 19 in Quebec City, Quebec. Close to 1,000 people attended the conference from around the world to learn about different practices and perspectives relating to e-learning, according to Maureen Wideman, an instructional designer with the Innovation Centre.
Sandra Goldsworthy and Leslie Graham, both professors with the School of Health and Community Services, and Erin Banit, a multimedia developer with the Innovation Centre, were also in attendance to describe the college's Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Graduate Certificate program and its Critical Care Hub of Excellence.
"Because the Critical Care Hub was sponsored by the provincial government, it's very unique compared to what many other educational institutions are using," said Wideman. "The program has a unique spin and offers many different types of technology."
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care awarded a $1 million contract to Durham College to spearhead the innovative Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Program and make it accessible to current and future critical care nurses.
Durham College professors also attended the Connecting Ocean to Ocean conference from October 1 to 3 in St. John's, Newfoundland. The Canadian Association of Practical Nurse Educators (CAPNE) conference featured professors from across the country discussing ideas and information related to teaching and learning within the nursing profession.
Marie McEwan, a lab simulation specialist, and Jean Jackson and Terri Healy, both professors, presented Start Me Up for Success - Clinical Orientation and Integration and Levelling the Use of Simulation Across the Practical Nursing Curriculum. The presentations focused on the use of simulation in nursing programs and evaluating strategies for clinical placement. Attendees of the conference were impressed by the leadership and innovation of the college's simulation training.
"Feedback was very positive. Other conference attendees said they were intrigued by what we are doing at Durham College, in regards to high-fidelity simulation and future plans," said McEwan.
A number of people have since been requesting copies of the presentation, which incorporated music, photos and student quotes as it explored networking and sharing ideas with other institutions.