Canada's first virtual hospital unveiled today at International Nursing and Computer Technology Conference
May 25, 2006
Themed State of the Art Use of Technology, this year's conference focuses on major advances in the development and use of leading-edge technology in nursing education. At a pre-conference workshop held at UOIT/DC today, the latest in nursing education technology was revealed through the launch of the Virtual Clinical Excursion (VCE), a first of its kind in Canada.
Published by Elsevier, a leading medical publishing firm, the VCE is designed to give UOIT and DC students the opportunity to practice their clinical skills using their laptops, any time, any where. UOIT and DC faculty worked closely with Wolfsong Informatics, a U.S.-based educational solutions company to adapt the computer-based simulation package to meet Canadian nursing educational needs.
Beginning in September, UOIT and DC faculty will take the VCE one step further by combining it with other state-of-the-art simulations to create a new, first-of-its-kind model for nursing education in Canada. This innovative approach combines the virtual hospital with the effective use of manikin simulators, and the new Canadian Nursing COMPASS designed by UOIT and DC faculty. Also being launch today, COMPASS is a competency assessment system for probing students' understanding of complex clinical situations.
"We're leading innovation by combining the latest simulations to create a new model of nursing education in Canada designed to significantly improve students' clinical judgment in nursing, and ultimately patient outcomes," says Dr. Jay Tashiro, adjunct associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at UOIT and DC, and director of Research at Wolfsong Informatics.
UOIT/DC students and faculty already use state-of-the-art manikin simulators developed by Laerdal and METI which provide tremendous opportunities for students to develop skills in bedside care and clinical decision making.
Research funding support from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care as part of its Clinical Simulation Initiative provided UOIT/DC with the opportunity to purchase manikin simulators for its Simulation Lab, create a Canadian Virtual Clinical Excursion, as well as the Canadian Nursing COMPASS.
"Most importantly, UOIT and DC faculty are working towards a framework for evidence-based education by creating and testing educational strategies, then selecting those that really work to improve nursing education," says Dr. Carolyn Byrne, dean, Faculty of Health Sciences at UOIT.
The pre-conference workshop also included hands-on student demonstrations in UOIT/DC's state-of-the-art Simulation Labs using the latest technology - PDAs (personal digital assistants), podcasting, and laptop-based learning at the bedside to enhance patient care and outcomes.
The conference continues on Friday, May 26 at Toronto's Downtown Marriott Eaton Centre and runs until Sunday, May 28.
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