22
view . spring 2013
The program will combine online and hands-on
education in a format that will provide access to students
across Canada and potentially worldwide. It will be
delivered as a hybrid distance education offering, using
e-Learning technology, combined with UWindsor’s
renowned summer research institute, simulation facilities
and a supervised clinical practicum.
It’s a combination that makes for a dynamic program,
says Dr. Patrick. “This program is one-of-a-kind, utilizing
a flexible delivery approach and the most up-to-date
technology.”
Support from the University’s Strategic Priority Fund
for the development of the diploma program’s courses
and curriculum enabled the Faculty of Nursing to hire
lecturer Jason Kiernan, a nurse practitioner since 2006 in
the oncology department of Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital.
He says the collaborative learning technologies supported
by the University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning allow
instructors to interact with distance education students as
if they were physically present.
“We set the specific time for the lecture and everyone
logs on to their computers. I can see the students on
my screen and they see me, as well as any multimedia
materials I present,” he says. “I’m doing everything I
would for a live lecture, only online. We will be designing
our lectures to use case studies to facilitate dialogue and
stimulate discussion.”
Students learning onsite will have access to facilities on
campus, including the recently completed spaces on the
third floor of the Medical Education Building.
The area includes a simulation lab that incorporates
a clinical setting, from reception and meeting areas to
examination rooms and wards that utilize the faculty’s
state-of-the-art mannequins to simulate symptoms and
respond to applied treatments.
Nursing professor Laurie Freeman-Gibb BScN ’87,
administrator of the UWindsor’s Primary Health Care
Nurse Practitioners program, says it will provide students
with a real experience of care. “These spaces will
allow nurses to practise applying their skills, as well as
incorporating the ability for them to observe and learn from
their peers while instructors can monitor their decision-
making and their responses to real-world situations.”
Even distance students will benefit from the UWindsor
campus facilities, as the program’s structure requires them
to attend the week-long summer institute as well as a
weekend of the simulation practicum. These required
on-campus learning experiences ensure scholarly
engagement with peers.
“We tried to balance the provision of experiential
learning with the recognition that our students are most
likely to be already engaged in professional practice,”
Dr. Freeman-Gibb says. “Our aim is to ensure they receive
the highest-quality education, no matter where they make
their home.”
The core component of the hands-on learning is a
six-week, full-time preceptorship, which will place students
in clinical positions as close as possible to their place of
residence. Helping to identify these placements is the
provincial agency Cancer Care Ontario and the de Souza
Institute, an innovative centre of learning dedicated
to improving cancer care by supporting excellence in
oncology nursing. With funding from Ontario’s Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care, the Institute provides
education, professional development and mentoring for
nurses, at all levels of educational preparation, who care
for cancer patients and their families.
These partnerships are vital to the success of the
program, said Patrick. “The Institute brings to us a
great deal of specialized expertise and resources. It has
contributed toward the development of our courses
and curriculum and will provide on-going support for
our students.”
Under its agreement with the University, the Institute
will collaborate in academic teaching, support research
NURSING AT UWINDSOR
Undergraduate program:
• Collaborative Honours BScN
(4 years)
Graduate programs:
• MN or MSc - Advanced Clinical Nursing Field
• MN or MSc - Nursing Leadership Field
• Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
• Graduate Diploma in Advanced Practice Oncology/
Palliative Nursing
With our flexible, quality programs and highly qualified faculty
members, the Faculty of Nursing fosters personal and professional
development and ethical accountability, preparing nurses for new
challenges and continuously expanding roles in health care.
Visit our website or contact
us to learn more about our
programs:
Tel: (519) 253-3000 ext. 2258
Email:
