The Western North-Western Region Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (WNRCASN) recently held their annual nurse educators’ conference in Edmonton on February 21-23, 2013. This conference facilitated the sharing of ideas, strategies, philosophies, and research findings to develop the scholarship of nursing. Several RRC nursing faculty presented at the conference and a brief description of their projects is included.

• Building Self-Efficacy In Scholarly Writing In First Year Nursing Students (Author: Kim Mitchell)

The complex task of researching and writing a scholarly paper is anxiety provoking for students. This presentation detailed the process of developing a course in scholarly writing within the context of delivering course material to an audience of 150-200 students. Preliminary research findings regarding the course’s influence on anxiety and self-efficacy were also presented.

• Arts-based Learning: Creating Art to Reflect on Practice, Reflecting on Art to Inform Practice (Authors: Kendra Rieger, Luanne Hill, Joanne Loughery)

Arts-based learning is an innovative teaching strategy in which learning is designed to occur through the use of one or more art form(s) integrated with subject matter from another academic discipline. This presentation discussed two arts based learning exemplars and the potential for arts-based learning in the current nursing curriculum.

• Arts-based Learning: Analysis of the Concept for Nursing Education (Presented by: Kendra Rieger; Authors: Kendra Rieger and Dr. Wanda Chernomas — University of Manitoba)

There is a call for a significant shift in curricula away from content focused designs and towards developing environments in which learning processes are emphasized and active student engagement is fostered. Arts-based learning (ABL) is an innovative strategy which engages learners and simultaneously connects thoughts with feelings as part of the learning process.  This presentation focuses on a concept analysis of ABL within the nursing education environment.

• Using Client Actors in Nursing Education: The Highest Kind of Fidelity (Authors: Karlene Cifuentes, Brenda Enns, Richel Roque, Jennifer Otto)

The new Baccalaureate Nursing program at Red River College identified a need to integrate a wide variety of innovative teaching approaches.  Using client actors in nursing clinical simulation was one such teaching approach. This presentation discussed the process of integrating client actors into nursing education, the difference between client actor scenarios and standard case studies, and future directions with the approach.

• Professional Identity Development in Nursing Education: A Study in Progress (Presented by Brenda Enns; Authors: Brenda Enns, Virginia Vandall-Walker — Athabaska University)

Positive Proffessional Nursing Identity (PNI) development has been associated with greater satisfaction with one’s work and improved patient outcomes. This presentation focused on preliminary findings from a qualitative grounded theory investigation into positive PNI which has the potential to inform educational and clinical practice changes that could promote new graduates’ abilities to consolidate and enact positive PNIs in practice.

Nursing students spend much of their time learning to document clinical findings at the bedside. Instructor Tasha Holt and Instructional Designer Claudius Soodeen developed a mobile application to guide first year students in correct procedures and terminology. The project won a 2012 Learning Innovation Award.

Our very own Brenda Enns has been awarded the WNRCASN Graduate Student Research Award. This award, introduced in 2007, is intended to support the research activities of WNRCASN members who are graduate students. It is available to: 1) faculty members who are WNRCASN members and who are engaged in graduate studies; or 2) graduate students at WNRCASN-affiliated institutions. The focus of the research must be related to nursing education. Research within this focus may be directed to any aspect of nursing education, including issues of importance to faculty members or students, strategies pertaining to teaching and learning, or curricular challenges.

Brenda will receive funding up to $2500 for her research study entitled Nursing Identity Development in BN Education. This grounded theory study examines the process of developing a nursing identity during education and in particular, how participants enact their nursing values in their current practice. The ultimate long-term vision, which is the spirit behind this investigation, is to ensure that RNs, our colleagues, and our patients all experience a nursing practice that is congruent with the type of nursing that BN students are formally taught and which is depicted in our Code of Ethics (CNA, 2008) and provincial standards of practice.

Cartoon credit: Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative

On September 21st, 2012 the Nursing Department at Red River College held its first inter professional education (IPE) seminar. According to the Center for Advancement of Interprofessional Education, IPE is defined as occurring ‘‘when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care.’’ This seminar included 59 health care aide students and 49 nursing students.

A simulation was created to provide students with the opportunity to experience the roles of other professionals and support staff. The content emphasis in the simulation was related to communication, shared leadership and patient centered care.  Students were placed into groups and assigned a position as a health care professional/individual to enact from a formulated scenario. The roles included in this skit were a patient, family member, nurse, health care aide, medical radiation technologist, and physiotherapist. The case scenario was:

The patient is a 70 year old female who has a 20-year history of osteoarthritis. She was admitted for a total hip replacement and is now three days post op. Her past medical history includes diabetes and osteoporosis. This morning when attending to the patient to assist with morning care, the Health Care Aide (HCA) observes an increased work of breathing and this observation is reported to the Registered Nurse (RN). An x-ray order is obtained to rule out post op pneumonia.

 

The RN and HCA enter the patient’s room together, while family members are present, and work together to position the client so the RN can assess the client. Once the X-ray technologist arrives, all members involved assist the client and position her for portable x-ray. The family members are quite concerned as they were expecting their mother to be discharged home in a couple of days.

Each student was given a time frame to attend both the simulation and a debrief. Students were not graded on their performance during the case study/simulation however nursing students were required to complete a reflective assignment.  Reflection is a requirement in interprofessional education. Use of literature was required to support or negate what was represented during the case study in terms of concepts of interprofessional education. Overall the reflective assignments featured positive feedback related to the experience, and students were able to relate the collaborative care competencies to their involvement in the simulation.

For more information on Interprofessional Education please refer to the WHO document: Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice

For more information on the Interprofessional Education Course in the Nursing Department, please contact Jennifer Otto at 204-632-2922

Congratulations to the Diploma Nursing Accelerated Program graduates

On October 4^th, the Red River College Nursing Diploma (Accelerated) Program graduates celebrated their graduation with an elegant dinner and speeches with family, friends and faculty members a Canad Inns Polo Park.

It was acknowledged that this was the last graduating class of the Diploma Nursing Accelerated program at Red River College.

Congratulations to the hard working nurses and may you all find fulfillment and success in all of your endeavours.

A special thank you to Sandra Andrews who organized the event.

The Annual Nursing Awards Luncheon was held on September 21^st, 2012 at the Prairie Lights Restaurant. This year we celebrated the academic and clinical excellence of Red River Nursing students from the Baccalaureate Nursing Program (BN), Diploma Nursing Accelerated Program (DNA), as well as the Joint Baccalaureate Nursing Program (JBN). The Nursing department thanks all donors, recipients, family, friends, faculty members and special guests for celebrating the accomplishments of our nursing students.

BN

Amber Anderson

Jocelyn Beaumont

Rae-Ann Buydens

Andrea Chapman

Heather Day

Diane De Groot

Jennifer Romanoff

Chantal Roziere

Melissa Walker

DNA

Kari Gagne

Lillibeth Garachico

Navdeep Thind

JBN

Sherry Haderer

Caroline Kuzminski

Relational nursing involves a process of inquiry. We have already seen how the nurse inquires about Joe’s and his family’s experience. Other areas of inquiry that Suzette will consider are empirical knowledge – what are the current best practices for management of diabetes? What does she need to know in order to competently manage Joe’s physical health needs? She thinks about ethics – what is the right or moral thing to do when there is pressure to discharge Joe before everything is ready for follow-up in the community? She also examines her own experiences, beliefs, values and ideology – for instance, has she allowed her ideas about “compliance” to affect the way she has responded to Joe? Self-observation is key to being able to consciously choose the best actions in a particular situation.

So what has this meant for Joe and his family? Joe’s physical health needs have been competently cared for, and they have felt respected and listened to. They trust Suzette and are willing to hear the recommendations she has for them. Safety has been maintained, and Joe’s concerns have been attended to.  Joe feels empowered to manage his health better, and his family feels ready to support him.

We are exploring the story of Joe, whose nurse Suzette practices relational nursing. In relational nursing practice, nurses look for “how people, situations, contexts, environments and processes are integrally connecting and shaping each other” (Doane & Varcoe, 2005). So Suzette inquires about the connections and influences that shape Joe’s health and illness experience. She notes that he is from an ethnic minority group, lives in a poor neighbourhood, and is on disability leave from his job. He has a large extended family who visits him frequently. Joe’s wife and family are experiencing his illness as very frightening and overwhelming. Suzette offers the family support and resources.

Joe states that he hasn’t gone to his doctor because he feels discriminated against at the clinic. Suzette considers how this has hampered his illness management, and supports Joe and his family in thinking of ways to address this concern. Cultural safety is an important part of relational practice, and means going beyond cultural awareness or sensitivity, to actively promote respectful and supportive practices and systems.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of Joe’s story!

Reference: Doane, G.H. & Varcoe, C. (2005) Family nursing as relational practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Thanks to everyone who attended the displays of National Nursing week in the Library Hallway. The event proved to be a sampling of what the nursing life is like at Red River College including a look at some of the skills of nurses, the job roles, and the program development of the RRC Baccalaureate Nursing Program. Special thanks to Instructor Tracey Wozney for spearheading the organization of the day and to the many student and staff volunteers who answered questions from our guests and participants. Please enjoy a sampling of photos from the event.

Nursing Week Event May 7th and 8th
Come by the Library hallway from 11 am to 1 pm on May 7th and 8th
as we kick start the beginning of National Nursing Week.

There will be a variety of booths, information, and displays reflecting the positive impacts nurses make on the lives and well being of Canadians.

Please stop by to see what it is nursing faculty and nursing students do in the preparation of knowledgeable, competent and caring health professionals and their contributions to society as learned, innovative and thinking citizens.

There will also be pizza and pop for sale.

Cancerous Lung in Action