First Session

The Not So National Treasure Hunt-Part I

By the year 2020, it is predicted that demand for RNs will outpace supply by almost 30% (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). Because of these and other mitigating factors most agree that the current nursing shortage is serious and therefore the need for creative solutions to alleviate the potential effects on the health care system is of utmost importance. With the prevalence of the availability of highly developed technology, more nurses are taking greater advantage of the accessibility of on-line courses. As full time and part time study is available to students, the implementation of a dedicated online nursing program for advanced practice nurses better allows one to recruit students from local recruitment areas. The removal of time and space barriers allow for expanded efforts in infrastructure and recruitment regionally and nationally.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss an innovative online educational program at Purdue University Calumet School of Nursing that enhances the initiatives and probabilities of nurses pursing advanced practice education to be more likely to achieve their goals. The program was made possible by an Advanced Education Nursing Grant through the Division of Nursing (DN) Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

What makes this program special is the inclusion of key elements to help support and enhance student learning. Students are given an iPod at the time of acceptance into the program. Podcasts are developed by faculty to allow for personalized real time learning. A counselor support system has been incorporated to give the students an avenue to address program, course and personal concerns they may have. An Ask the Geek link has been implemented to give the students real time computer support for technical issues they may encounter. Internal infrastructure has been enhanced to allow for this. A Not So National Treasure Hunt to assess student computer skills when using a course management system has been incorporated. This presentation will be comprised of two parts. The first part will address the innovative processes that were incorporated into the grant and why we chose them. The second part will involve hands on demonstration that will display a step by step mechanism for students to become skilled in requirements for online education.

Objectives Part I:
During this presentation I will:

Address the innovative processes such as learning how to create a podcast and other required technologies that were incorporated into the grant and why we chose them

Discuss the hands on demonstration that will occur in part II of this presentation that will display a step by step mechanism for students to become skilled in requirements for online education.

Other benefits and features will also be discussed:
I will discuss issues concerning the critical need for novel mechanisms to stimulate students, specifically advanced practice nurses in this situation, to complete their degrees using advanced technology while eliminating time and space barriers.

Practical Applications and Relationship to the Theme:
The theme “Teaching with Technology” specifically addresses the issues of how technology can be used to uphold matters associated with teaching and learning. By using online platform technology and virtual support mechanisms, time and space barriers associated with learning can be eliminated allowing for the probability of greater success in pursuing and completing education goals,

Information to Support What is Advocated
American Association of Colleges of Nursing . (2007). Nursing shortage: Fact sheet.
Retrieved October 29, 2007 from

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingShortage.htm

Second Session

The Not So National Treasure Hunt Part II

The purpose of this demonstration is to provide a hands-on session for assessing student computer skills when using a course management system as a true distance tool. The objective of this presentation is to allow participants to experience a “treasure hunt” that was created at Purdue University Calumet to test graduate nursing student skills for using a course management system to determine their readiness for web-based education.

Presenters:

Charlene C. Gyurko PhD,RN,CNE  (Part I)

Dr. Gyurko has been a nurse since 1973. She has been teaching in an academic setting in an undergraduate and graduate level since 1991. She is Co-PI of an Advanced Education Nursing Grant awarded to Purdue University Calumet provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). She is a Research Associate for the Indiana Center for Evidence Based Practice a Joanna Briggs Institute Collaborating Center at Purdue University Calumet.

Jill Ullman BS, MS  (Part II)

Since 2001, Jill Ullmann has served as the Coordinator of Instructional Design/Technology in the School of Nursing at Purdue University Calumet.  Prior to her present position, she earned her Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology and Telecommunciations from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois while working as the Documentation/Training Specialist at Monmouth College.  She did her undergraduate work at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska in Business Administration with an emphasis in Data Processing.

Jill co-developed an online orientation program for nursing students and is very focused on student support.  Additionally, she provides ongoing consultation to undergraduate and graduate nursing faculty in Vista course development and implementation.  She offers guidance to faculty who instruct classes using a two-way interactive video system.  Most recently, she is working to pilot a podcasting initiative on her campus.  She also serves as the department Webmaster.