Nursing News
n Life-changing experience in Uganda n Accelerated option attractive to SCBScN program students n SIAST and U of R partner to offer the Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program n SIAST nursing faculty honored with SRNA Awards
spring/summer 2013
Published by the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Nursing Division
n Message from the dean
Engaging students through program delivery and technology innovations I am delighted to see our nursing students’ enthusiasm for new opportunities to engage in the learning process. Our students are now studying at various times throughout the year, they are accessing education using online delivery methods, and they are experiencing educational opportunities overseas. Current research describes a direct link between students’ experience of engagement and the effectiveness of student learning. We are very excited to expand the opportunities for student engagement to enhance their learning.
With the implementation of the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program accelerated option, our students are now actively engaged in the accelerated learning process throughout the year, including the months of May to August. The accelerated option provides an opportunity for students to complete the accelerated SCBScN program eight months ahead of schedule. Engaging in online asynchronous post-conferences as opposed to face-to-face discussion has provided students time to reflect on their clinical practice experience and facilitated more active engagement in the discussion.
Our students are also engaging in online discussions in a new course focused on integrating holistic care and spirituality into their practice. Through online discussion, students are exploring the link between healing and spirituality and the provision of spiritual support.
Table of contents Message from the dean
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InstruMentor™ provides mobile reference guide to surgical tools
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Nursing student’s hockey talents honoured at national level
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New course to explore spirituality and health
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SIAST and U of R collaborate on new nurse practitioner master’s program
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Practical Nursing students complete program in Uganda
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Clinical students find their voices in online post conferences
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SIAST Nursing faculty honoured at SRNA Awards Gala
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Described as a life-changing experience, students in the Practical Nursing program engaged in an international nursing experience in Kampala, Uganda. The students developed a new understanding of cultural diversity. They also gained invaluable clinical experiences working alongside nursing and midwifery students addressing health issues they would not have experienced closer to home.
Successful mentoring relationships
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Accelerated option offered for nursing degree
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SIAST Nursing programs and services
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It is gratifying to witness the active engagement of our nursing students at SIAST. The use of a variety of learning strategies and innovations is enriching the students’ experience and promoting their success.
Cover Photo - Left to Right: Dale Lipp, graphic artist, Carole Clark, faculty, Perioperative Nursing program, Eli Ahlquist, program head, Perioperative Nursing program
With the development of a unique app, our students in the Perioperative Nursing program will learn about the design and use of various surgical instruments in an innovative way. Through the use of their cellular phones, our students will access images and information about the various instruments they will need to be adept at recognizing and using in the operating room.
Netha Dyck Dean of Nursing
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n Technology moving forward
InstruMentor™ provides mobile reference guide to surgical tools
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extbooks can be expensive, cumbersome and difficult to update at a pace that matches the advance of technological innovation. To create a superior source of reference for surgical instruments, the SIAST Perioperative Nursing program team is collaborating to build an application that can provide more than text and photos on a page, and will run on any mobile phone, and that will run on any smartphone.
With an understanding of the drawbacks of the existing visual reference, the program team sought ways to distribute the new images that did not require the students to bear any additional expense. The ideal solution appeared to be a source of data that could be accessed through the students’ cellular phones. Through the direction of Carole Clark, a faculty member with Perioperative Nursing, and the website development (coding) of Dale Lipp of SIAST Learning Technologies, that idea has borne fruit. A prototype mobile website has been built that can be accessed by anyone with a smartphone. Visitors to the site can examine the project, test its features and learn to recognize surgical instruments. The online reference possesses an advantage that no print edition can match: audio pronunciation. Because most instruments are named for their inventors and therefore can have difficult-topronounce labels, this Canadian-specific pronunciation guide is a key feature of the application. As for the visual presentation, the images are designed to make the information as memorable and applicable as possible. Not only is the text information paired with audio pronunciations, the tools in the images are held by a hand sheathed in a surgical glove and backed by surgical drapes. Consequently, graduates transitioning to a clinical setting should have no difficulty in recognizing the tools in their intended contexts. The next step for the project is to create a finished product that can be marketed for distribution to mobile devices. “Our partners at SIAST have been able to help us build the prototype and get things rolling”, says Ahlquist. ”We are also partnering externally to SIAST to leverage additional expertise.”
The mobile application, dubbed “InstruMentor™ ,” is a response to the needs of students who are completing an online course in surgical instrument recognition. “We took feedback from students about the existing course, and one of their comments was that the quality of the images wasn’t very good,” said Eli Ahlquist, program head, Perioperative Nursing. “Through the process of redesigning the course to better meet students’ needs, we created a lot of really good images that were very precise and specific to the working elements of these instruments that students wanted to know about and told us that they’d like to see more of.”
Currently, the program is in the hands of other potential users for assessment and adjustment. It has been shared with the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine and applicable programs in both the Nursing and Science and Health divisions at SIAST, with the goal of collecting feedback as to what additional features the users would like to see built into the next version of InstruMentor™. Ideally, it will become an inter-professional tool that can be used by any health professional who encounters surgical instruments. The effective collaboration that created InstruMentor™ is key to the application’s success. “We are supportive of one another, which has resulted in us getting to this point,” said Ahlquist. “It’s been a fantastic, fun project, and anybody who’s been involved with it has been excited at the potential to pursue new projects for mobile learning.” n
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Alexis Larson (centre) SCBScN student, is named to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Rookie team.
n Talents honoured
Nursing student’s hockey talents honoured at national level
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lexis Larson, a first-year student in the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program, was recently recognized for her hockey skills and potential by Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the national governing body of university athletics. Larson was recognized for her performance as part of the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team. Larson originally played hockey in her hometown of Weyburn before coming to Regina to study nursing. In Regina, she was able to earn a place on the Cougars as a defender. “Alexis is enrolled in the SCBScN program and manages to also participate in the Cougar Athletics at the University of Regina.”, said Aida Brenneman, SIAST nursing advisor and academic counsellor, SCBScN program, SIAST Wascana Campus. The SCBScN program is offered in a partnership by SIAST and the University of Regina.
on the ice had garnered the attention and respect of coaches across the country, and that she would be honoured for her talents through induction into the CIS All-Rookie team alongside other exceptional freshmen players from across the country. “The CIS picks the top two rookie defencemen and the top three rookie forwards and names them to the line, and then it’s voted on by coaches throughout Canada,” Brenneman says. “She was one of the top two rookie defencemen.” Larson is only the second player in the history of the Cougars women’s hockey program to be named to the CIS All-Rookie team. Brenneman is impressed that Larson has maintained an ongoing dedication to excellence in both school and sports. “Nursing is challenging,” Brenneman acknowledges. “It involves a lot of hours of study, and yet she has time to balance that with athletics, which is really great. Our students need some extracurricular activities for balance in their lives, and she is doing that.
With the Cougars, Larson played in 26 of the team’s 28 Canada West games and all three post-season games, earning four goals and four assists. Those eight points placed her second amongst the team’s defencemen. In early March, Larson learned that her performance
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“We often wonder, ‘How do they do it?’ because not everyone can.” n
Alexis Larson, University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team — photo courtesy of www.sportshooter.com
n Addressing spiritual needs
New course to explore spirituality and health
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new course entitled Spirituality and Health is being offered through the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN), a program delivered collaboratively by SIAST and the U of R. This undergraduate elective is available to students in nursing and other helping professions. Facilitated by SIAST Kelsey Campus faculty member Karen Barss, the course is designed to deepen learners’ ability to address spiritual needs within themselves, their clients and their workplaces through a variety of contemplative learning activities.
People who take the course might one day influence the health care culture, which still tends to be “focused only on physical needs,” said Barss.
The idea for the course arose out of Barss’ observations that students with a particular inclination toward integrating spiritual care into their practice needed further opportunities for development, support and mentorship. People who take the course might one day influence the health-care culture, which still tends to be “focused only on physical needs,” said Barss. Although content regarding holistic care and spirituality can be found in many of the required courses, Spirituality and Health provides an opportunity to build a more advanced understanding of the subject. Barss pointed out that “It’s one of those things that’s ‘caught, not taught,’ and I think one of the beauties of this elective is that it’s for people who find themselves at a place where they really would like to enrich this part of their practice.” Through asynchronous online discussion, participants are exposed to the experiences and perceptions of their student colleagues, in addition to those of members of the health care and educational communities. Then, in the fifth week, the class meets for a faceto-face, overnight retreat. “That’s an opportunity to be able to pull together a lot of the course concepts and do some face-to-face skills-practice, as well as continue at a deeper level the contemplative conversation that we’ve been engaged in online,” explained Barss. Spirituality can be an ineffable quality, and the course will address that ambiguity. “Certainly, the literature has made its best attempts to offer a definition,” said Barss. “Students will be exploring a variety of definitions that are in the literature, and they will then be exploring their own experience of spirituality.”
Karen Barss, SIAST Kelsey Campus faculty member assumptions of the course is that it’s impossible to effectively address others’ spiritual needs without addressing our own,” Barss said. “I could really see a need for a particular opportunity for people to not only learn more about offering spiritual support to those who want it, but also be supported in exploring their own spirituality.” An approach known as the T.R.U.S.T. Model for Inclusive Spiritual Care is providing the structure for the course. “The course units are organized around the five domains of T.R.U.S.T., which are Traditions, Reconciliation, Understandings, Searching and Teachers,” Barss explained. “Through each of those, we’re able to explore how we might discover each person’s unique world view and needs and be able to attend to them.” That atmosphere of trust is crucial not only in participating in discussions regarding complex and personal subject matter, but also in health care in general. “For me, that’s the link between healing and spirituality: When we are in a place of calm and trust, we know that that’s when our body, mind, spirit — every part of us — can heal at its best,” Barss said. “Of course, we never know what that optimum is, but we do know that’s the state where the healing response can begin.” n
Such personal exploration is essential in order for students to begin to provide for the spiritual needs of others. “One of the underlying
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n New initiatives being undertaken
SIAST and U of R collaborate on nurse practitioner program L to R - Dr. Laurie Clune, associate dean, Graduate Programs and Research, U of R; Joyce Bruce, program head, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program; Dr. Netha Dyck, dean of Nursing, SIAST; Dr. Vianne Timmons, president & ceo, U of R
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IAST and the University of Regina have undertaken a new initiative, including new innovations, for the nurse practitioner (NP) program in Saskatchewan.
partnership between the U of R and SIAST.”
“The CNPP will be offered to maximize access to registered nurses in rural and remote areas of the province,” said Joyce Bruce, program head at SIAST. “It will include a one-week residency. In June, the dean of nursing, Dr. Netha Dyck, and dean Graduates will be prepared to provide of the U of R faculty of nursing, Dr. david primary care to families and individuals Gregory, announced the two institutions “Applicants to CNPP will offer a collaborative master of nursing, must be registered nurses of all ages. They will work independently and collaboratively to treat common health nursing practitioner program starting next with at least two years of problems and manage chronic illnesses. This year. includes ordering and interpreting common experience.” “The NP graduate program will prepare screening and diagnostic tests, prescribing registered nurses for roles as nurse drugs and performing minor surgical and invasive procedures.” practitioners in our communities,” said Dr. Dyck. “Our team “Applicants to CNPP must be registered nurses with at least of experienced nurse practitioner faculty and staff are working in two years of experience,” said Dr. Laurie Clune, associate dean, partnership with the U of R to deliver an innovative program that Graduate Programs and Research, U of R. “Nurses can complete will be attractive to our registered nurses and meet the needs of our health care system. We are excited to have the opportunity to the program in two years as full-time students, or over four years collaborate with the U of R and build on our extensive experience part time. Applications will be open early in the New Year and the in delivering an online nurse practitioner program at SIAST.” first intake of 15 students will occur in September 2014.” “Graduates of this program will work as masters-prepared nurse practitioners and foster increased access to primary health care services within the Province of Saskatchewan,” said Dr. Gregory. “Offered as an online format, the program will be available to prospective students throughout Saskatchewan. The Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program (CNPP) is an example of the power of
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Dr. Dyck and Dr. Gregory emphasized that SIAST and the U of R are capitalizing on the success of their first joint program, the fouryear Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. This program is offered in Saskatoon, Regina and Swift Current and accepts 345 new students each year. n
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The clinical experience in the African nation provided the students with an unforgettable adventure and an unusual conclusion to their education.
n Life-changing experience
Practical Nursing students complete program in Uganda
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or three weeks in April, eight students completed their final Practical Nursing practicum in a far-flung setting Uganda. The clinical experience in the African nation provided the students with an unforgettable adventure and an unusual conclusion to their education. The students, including six students from SIAST Kelsey Campus, Saskatoon, and two from SIAST Wascana Campus, Regina, raised their own funds to pay for the international experience. Accompanying them were Susan Page and Heather Gold, faculty from Regina who had visited Africa in a professional capacity previously. Upon arriving, the group received a warm welcome in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. There, they worked alongside the nursing and midwifery students at St. Raphael of St. Francis Hospital at Nsambya, a facility that is owned, operated and staffed by the Roman Catholic Church. It was the nuns of the Nsambya Hospital who arranged for the lodgings, support and education of the students during their stay.
“Sister Stella Josephine was our contact there, and she was wonderful to us,” said Susan Page, faculty, Practical Nursing, SIAST Wascana Campus. “She set up a program for our students to study about malaria, typhoid and HIV/AIDS, because those are the three most prevalent health problems in the region. We teach about HIV/AIDS in our program but we don’t have malaria and typhoid in our curriculum. She wanted to review what they had done in Uganda, which was significantly different from what we do in Saskatchewan.” In the Ugandan hospital, the SIAST students experienced the challenges, successes and tragedies of medicine in a impoverished sub-Saharan African context. They observed the slow treatment of burns via honey and ghee (a milk solid) and felt the heartache of infant mortalities that might have been prevented with the use of incubators. “I don’t know if it was more difficult than a clinical
experience in Saskatchewan, but it was certainly of a different nature,” said Page. “They had a little bit of everything: surgery, medicine, babies being born and babies dying. Here, they would have only worked in one unit for their final practicum, but instead they had a mixture and they had experiences that they never would have had here.” One of the greatest sources of culture shock was the dearth of modern medical technology. “It was an excellent learning opportunity, because the students discovered how privileged we are in Canada,” commented Page. “Although we complain about our health care system here, we’re incredibly lucky and have many more advanced tools compared to there.” Fortunately, the SIAST students and educators did not arrive in the country empty-handed. With the transport costs donated by Delta Airlines, the group was able to bring 20 boxes of books and supplies from Saskatchewan, including unused walkers and wheelchairs, to aid the people of Kampala. Although the international clinical experience was primarily educational, there were opportunities for recreation on the weekends. For example, the group whitewater-rafted 18 kilometres down the Nile during one weekend excursion. On another, Murchison Falls National Park was their destination, and the students enjoyed a safari in an environment that was very different from the tilled fields of the prairies. Page was particularly impressed with the hospitable attitude of the local people and their willingness to lighten the students’ financial burden of staying in Kampala. “The people there were very welcoming, and they always smiled,” she said. “The very first thing out of their mouths is always, ‘You’re welcome,’ and that surprised me at first because I hadn’t said, ‘Thank you.’ But for them, the meaning of those words is ‘You’re welcome to come with us, you’re welcome here, and we’re very glad you’re here.’” n
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n Technology moving forward
Clinical students find their voices in online post-conferences
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new, virtual approach to clinical postconferences promises to improve the quality of the conversation.
The ability to communicate and collaborate with one’s peers is one hallmark of quality nursing practice, which is why the post-conference is part of almost every clinical practice education course. A postconference brings the clinical group together with the faculty to review the events of the day and encourage reflective practice. However, Melanie Neumeier, faculty, Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) SIAST Kelsey Campus, wondered if the tradition would be better served if performed online, so she made it her Master’s research project. Neumeier noticed that there are several factors that can negatively affect face-to-face post conferences. Often students simply are too tired to effectively (or “adequately”) participate at the end of the day, and further, the group conversation easily can be dominated by the more outspoken students. In addition, physical spaces available for holding post-conferences and confidential discussions often are limited. The solution was to find a more secure, virtual space. “Instead of meeting for an hour face-to-face at the end of the clinical day, I decided we would try an online, asynchronous post-conference,” said Neumeier. “Basically, that involved creating a separate, private group for myself and my clinical students where I would post a reflective question, something pertaining either to the profession of nursing or specifically to our unit or more generally to what was going on.” Because of the environment created by the online/virtual format, students were able to much more comfortably and effectively share their thoughts in response to the discussion topic provided by Neumeier. “I set up a timeline, each conference ran for one week, and every student was required to put in both her or his primary posting and responses to other students’ postings,” explained Neumeier. “The post-conference conversation still happened, but at a time and place that was much more convenient for the students and that enabled participation from everyone. No one could cut off or interrupt someone else, and those who needed more time to gather their thoughts or simply to think, now had that opportunity.” In order to allow the students to compare the online experience with the more traditional, offline method, the online post-conferences were alternated with face-to-face post-conferences. The research project involved the participation of three clinical groups in the NEPS program at SIAST Kelsey Campus. All of the
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20 students completed a questionnaire that included 20 Likert-type survey questions and four open-ended questions. “The results were very, very positive, which was really nice to see,” said Neumeier. “One hundred percent of the students stated that they agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend this technique to other students.” From the responses to the four open-ended questions, Neumeier observed trends as to what the students found beneficial or difficult about the online post conferences. The most highly rated beneficial factor was the convenience (with regard to time flexibility) of the online approach, which allowed time for reflecting on the day and considering responses to the topics at hand. In addition, many students praised the equal opportunity for involvement that the asynchronous discussion format provided. “Students stated that they found that the online discussion allowed more active participation, which led to better discussion than they experienced in face-to-face meetings,” Neumeier said. The problems of online post-conferences included the factor that is also a drawback of text-based communication: the absence of nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice. However, the students commented that the greatest challenge of the online post-conference was the struggle to process their thoughts and develop their opinions, goals common to any post conference. “I thought that that (feedback) was interesting, because that’s actually a positive as well,” said Neumeier. “The students have to stop and think about the discussion, which is what we wanted.” n
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n Recognizing excellence
SIAST Nursing faculty honoured at SRNA Awards Gala Throughout her stellar nursing career, Linda McLeod has demonstrated leadership in promoting innovation in nursing education and in creating a supportive learning environment to facilitate student success. Her career started as a registered nurse in 1970 after she earned her diploma of nursing from the University of Saskatchewan. By 1973 she had earned her bachelor of science in nursing and in 1975, she began her teaching career as a SIAST faculty member. She continued her professional development by earning a master’s of continuing education from the University of Saskatchewan in 1984. She has served on a number of committees such as the Nursing Diagnosis Interest Group and the Coordination Committee for the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS).
in the Diploma of Nursing program, NEPS and the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program. As an educator, she always advances the interests of her students. She conducts herself as a role model of the highest standard of conduct. She has played a leading role in curriculum development and evaluation throughout the years, excels in communication and fosters relationships with students, faculty and partners. She is valued by nurses in the clinical setting for her knowledge, skills and abilities, and is highly regarded for the outstanding level of professionalism she displays in her role as an educator, while promoting collaborative practice. She is a remarkable role model and has had a tremendous impact on students, faculty and nursing colleagues throughout her nursing career. n
awards
Linda McLeod received the Elizabeth Van Valkenburg Award for Leadership in Nursing Education at this year’s Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Awards Gala.
Marian Morrissey was honoured with the prestigious Life Membership Award at this year’s Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Awards Gala for her remarkable 40-year career as a registered nurse.
During the past three decades, McLeod has provided leadership as a nurse educator
Marian Morrissey has exemplified the essence of excellence of leadership in nursing education. She provided strategic leadership as program head of the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS), SIAST Kelsey Campus.With her exceptional adaptability, she capably led a 49-seat expansion and managed the largest program at SIAST Kelsey Campus. Morrissey role-modelled and fostered a student-centred approach to quality nursing education. Most recently, Morrissey skilfully led the dynamic and iterative process for the development of a futuristic and evidencebased curriculum for the new Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program. Morrissey has given generously of her time and energy to advance the work of various organizations and committees such as the Western Region Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, Saskatchewan Operating Room Nurses
Group, NEPS Curriculum Committee, NEPS Administration Committee, SIAST Mentorship Committee and SIAST Nursing Division leadership team. Morrissey launched her career in nursing when she completed her diploma of nursing from the Regina General Hospital School of Nursing. As a proponent of lifelong learning, she subsequently earned a bachelor of science in nursing with great distinction, as well as a master of nursing. Morrissey has carried her passion and infectious enthusiasm for nursing throughout her distinguished career, from the operating room to the classroom to the community, encouraging her colleagues and students in their efforts for nursing excellence. She has shown commitment and dedication to fostering positive relationships between faculty and students, as a tireless supporter of student success and also as an advocate of recruitment and retention of Aboriginal students. n Continued on Page 10
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SIAST Nursing faculty honoured at SRNA Awards Gala Continued from Page 9
n Mentoring supported
Successful mentoring relationships
Left to Right: Dr. Larry Rosia, president and CEO, SIAST; SRNA award recipients Marian Morrissey and Linda McLeod; Dr. Netha Dyck, dean of Nursing
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L-R: Chris Isted, LPN, simulation lab assistant; Lana Bennett, LPN, simulation coordinator.
the Nursing Division supports all types of mentoring, and is pleased to celebrate successful mentoring relationships. Chris Isted, LPN, simulation and senior lab assistant at SIAST Wascana Campus, recognized the need to acknowledge the support and encouragement that he received from Lana Bennett, LPN, lab coordinator at SIAST Wascana Campus. As a result, Chris nominated Lana for a Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses (SALPN) Mentorship award.
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In his nomination letter, Isted described Lana as a great teacher, a leader and a good friend. He also wrote, “When I have had issues, or have faced a steep learning curve, she (Bennett) has always been there to offer her assistance, knowledge or simply the opportunity to learn together on challenges we are both facing in our positions.” Bennett was presented the Mentorship Award at the SALPN Annual Conference General Meeting banquet on April 16, 2013. Dean of Nursing Dr. Netha Dyck and several members of the Simulation Learning Centre team were on hand to help Bennett celebrate her achievement. Isted and Bennett’s exemplary mentoring relationship is not an isolated situation within the Nursing Division. Their experience serves as a timely reminder that we all need to be mindful of the mentoring that is occurring within our work settings and take time to honour these synergistic relationships that help create positive environments for everyone to work in. n
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n Advancement in program completion
Accelerated option offered for nursing degree
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tudents in the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program delivered jointly by SIAST and the University of Regina now have the option to complete the program in a little more than three years. The new accelerated option gets grads into jobs more quickly, while streamlining clinical practice placements and making graduates available to employers twice a year instead of once. “It’s an option for students to complete the program in a shorter time frame,” said Chris Barlow, SCBScN program head at SIAST Kelsey Campus. “It’s certainly not required, but students were invited to apply.” Previously, completion of the SCBScN program required four years, and that will remain the regular option. However, that arrangement involves two terms per year with a late spring and summer break. By contrast, the accelerated options make use of the entire year. “We were able to add some programming in intersession and summer session so that students can complete the in three years rather than four if they so wish,” said Barlow. “It doesn’t remove anything — it just has the students attending in May, June, July and August when we haven’t previously had programming.” The extra classes are expected to occur during periods when there are fewer other health sciences programs in operation and therefore less competition in the practice learning environments. “For example, in placements with limited space such as obstetrics, in the regular two academic terms the University of Saskatchewan bachelor of science in nursing program, Practical Nursing, paramedics and other health science programming would also need to place students there,” explained Barlow. “So for us to have students there in the summer, when some of these other programs may not be operating at full capacity, gives us much more flexibility. There is also much less pressure on the agencies.” The fully accelerated program was scheduled to start at the beginning of May with approximately 60 students. “They would graduate in August of 2014, eight months ahead of schedule,” Barlow said. With the proposed changes, there will be three points throughout the year in which students may complete the program. “There’s an August exit, a December exit and an April exit,” said Barlow. “April would be the regular track, which is the four-year program; December would be the slightly accelerated program (completion in 3.5 years) and the August exit would be the fully accelerated option (completion in 3 years).” david Gregory, dean, Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina said, “The accelerated option is a win-win for students and the health care system. Students can complete their degree almost a year sooner. The accelerated option will also benefit the health care
Megan Alberts, third-year SCBScN student at SIAST Kelsey Campus
system in two ways. First, demands for clinical placements will be distributed across the calendar year. Secondly, it will provide new graduates from the SCBScN program, workforce ready, in two waves instead of one.” Staggering the exit dates eases some of the competition and urgency involved in incorporating new workers into the health care system. “Nurse managers in the health regions have said that they find that very attractive because it creates more opportunities in a year to recruit new nurses to address staff shortages,” Barlow said. It also enables the students to face less competition when seeking employment. As for the students, the accelerated options are expected to yield different benefits depending on the situation of the individual. “If you’re from out of town, it is a financial hardship to be paying rent as well as maintaining your primary residence in the community where you plan to return to work,” pointed out Barlow. “In those situations, this certainly might be an attractive option.” Most important, the program will appeal to students who would like to enter the workforce as quickly as possible. “For some of our students, it is a second career,” Barlow said, “and they would really like to get moving with their new career.” For Megan Alberts, a third-year SCBScN student at SIAST Kelsey Campus, that is indeed the case. After working in retail and as a nanny, she gravitated toward nursing. “It took me a long time to realize that (nursing) is what I wanted to do,” she said. “I find it really rewarding, very fulfilling.” Having discovered her calling, she is eager to proceed with her new career as soon as possible. The accelerated option currently is available in Regina and Saskatoon. Although the SCBScN program will soon be available in Swift Current, the accelerated option cannot be offered due to the relatively small number of designated seats there. n
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Nursing SIAST Nursing Division delivers innovative and relevant nursing and health education, generating and disseminating knowledge through scholarship and interprofessional collaboration.
Degree programs
•S askatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) (www.sasknursingdegree.ca ) •N ursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS)
Post-degree advanced certificate program • Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Diploma programs
• Mental health courses • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Practical Nursing • Psychiatric Nursing
Nurse re-entry programs
• Nursing Re-entry • Practical Nurse Re-entry • Psychiatric Nursing Re-entry •O rientation to Nursing in Canada for Internationally Educated Nurses
Post-RN and -LPN advanced certificate programs • Basic Critical Care Nursing • Perioperative Nursing/LPN • Perioperative Nursing/RN
Health sector education programs
• Oral Anti-hyperglycemic Agents in Diabetes Management
• Mood Disorders • Psychosocial Assessment • Psychotropic Agents • Schizophrenia • Therapeutic Communication Skills
• Practical Nursing Certificate to Diploma program • Foot Care: Principles and Practices course • Leadership and Management in Perioperative / Medical Device Reprocessing course • Principles of Nursing Practice for Outpatient Procedures course
Health sector continuing education • CPR and First Aid courses • Medical Device Reprocessing courses • Occupational Health and Safety workshops • Safety Training for Supervisors
•D iabetes Education for Health Care Professionals advanced certificate •D iabetes Education for Health Care Providers applied certificate •O ccupational Health and Safety Practitioner applied certificate •O ccupational Health and Safety Practitioner certificate
Nursing continuing education
Services offered
• Exam preparation • Canadian Nurse Practitioner Exam
• Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Train the Trainer • WHMIS Train the Trainer
• Transferring, Lifting and Repositioning (TLR)
• Aboriginal Nursing Student Achievement Program (ANSAP) Preparation Tutorial • Simulation learning at SIAST Kelsey • Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam Campus, SIAST Kelsey 4th Ave Centre, Preparation Workshop SIAST Wascana Parkway Centre, SIAST • Canadian Registered Nurse Exam Wascana Campus and SIAST Woodland Preparation Workshop Campus •B ridging option to Practical Nursing • Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) program for Continuing Care Assistants Assessment Centre • Diabetes education courses • Campus nurse practitioner services at • Diabetes Mellitus: Classifications and SIAST Wascana Campus Diagnosis
• Insulin Therapy in Diabetes Management
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www.goSIAST.com 1-866-goSIAST(467-4278)
Dean’s office (306-659-4082 Basic Critical Care Nursing 306-775-7575 CPR/First Aid 306-659-4193 or 306-659-4083 Nursing Continuing Education programs and courses 306-775-7689 or 306-775-7789 nursingconed@siast.sk.ca Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner 306-659-4193 or (306-659-4083 ohsinfo@siast.sk.ca Orientation to Nursing in Canada for Internationally Educated Nurses 306-775-7573 Perioperative Nursing 306-775-7575 perioperative@siast.sk.ca Practical Nursing, Prince Albert 306-765-1740 Practical Nursing, Regina 306-775-7571 practicalnursing@siast.sk.ca Practical Nursing, Saskatoon 306-659-3790 Primary Care Nurse Practitioner 306-775-7335 pcnp@siast.sk.ca Psychiatric Nursing 306-775-7354 Re-entry Programs and Diabetes Education 306-775-7573 SCBScN and NEPS, Saskatoon 306-659-4085 SCBScN and NEPS, Regina 306-775-7766 Visit our Website: www.gosiast.com/nursing