UNews - Nursing Skills Lab

U of L uses recent minister visit to full advantage

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:23:52 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is a key contributor to building Alberta's knowledge-based economy. Add that to its many specific contributions to the economy and social well-being of the citizens of southern Alberta, and it was only fitting that eight Alberta government cabinet ministers spent the vast majority of their recent Lethbridge visit on the U of L campus.

The visit, part of a province-wide initiative, saw Doug Horner (advanced education and technology), Dave Hancock (education), Mel Knight (sustainable resource development), Yvonne Fritz (children and youth services), Lindsay Blackett (culture and community service), Jonathan Denis (housing and urban affairs), Len Webber (aboriginal relations) and Heather Klimchuk (Service Alberta) all attend.

The morning began with a tour of Markin Hall – the future home of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Management. In the context that the province is looking to diversify its economy by serving more as a financial hub for Canada, Markin's Finance Trading Floor, and its educational possibilities, was a key element of particular interest. Similarly, the Nursing Skills Lab, currently under construction, will train nursing students in a uniquely hands-on, innovative setting. It was not lost on the visiting ministers that placing the Faculties of Management and Health Sciences in the same building would create more opportunities for collaboration between faculty members, yielding new approaches of better-managing an expensive health-care system.

The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB) was next on the schedule, with distinguished water researcher Stewart Rood welcoming the ministers with a tour of his lab. The government has mandated to "ensure the province has the quality and quantity of water needed now and into the future to support the environmental, economic and social needs of Albertans" and the research work being done at the AWESB promises to play a key part in fulfilling this policy.

The morning tour ended with provost Andrew Hakin addressing the ministers, detailing how the U of L has positioned itself to best serve the post-secondary needs of Albertans, all the while pursuing a research mandate that will improve the quality of life for people throughout the province.

The evening tour featured a reception and presentation about the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery.

Dr. Josephine Mills, the director/creator of the gallery, explained the origin of the collection, its purpose in teaching and how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ connects with the broader community by sharing the works through exhibitions, publications and the web. The gallery is an important asset to the U of L in that it is used for educational, research, advancement and cultural purposes on campus and beyond. The ministers were introduced to a range of important works that revealed the collection's breadth and significance.

The evening concluded with a meal on campus that invited the Board of Governors, senior administration, deans and others. It was an opportunity to further build links between the
U of L and the provincial government.

This was a significant opportunity for the U of L to showcase itself. There is great geographic distance between Lethbridge and Edmonton and access to government members often involves significant effort and travel. Having eight ministers on campus at the same time is a rare opportunity, and the U of L used the occasion to its full advantage. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ also expressed a desire that similar visits would become of strategic importance to the Government of Alberta in the future.

Richard Westlund is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's director of government relations

Nursing a viable career path for men

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:16:25 +0000

Changing long-entrenched attitudes can often be a slow and gradual process. Peter Kellett, an academic assistant in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Nursing program, is attempting to give that process a nudge.

Kellett and the Faculty of Health Sciences will present a Men in Nursing Recruitment Day, Feb. 13, as they try and show men that nursing is not only a viable career option but it should be a desirable one as well.

"The primary challenge of attracting men to nursing is the general public views nursing as a woman's profession," Kellett, a nurse for 14 years, says. "What I'm really hoping to do with this day is to help men realize that this is not just a profession for women."

Drawn to nursing because of an interest in the medical field and a mother who worked as a nurse, Kellett says there are many false impressions about the profession that seem to steer men away.

"I think one of the misconceptions is that nursing is somehow a lower profession and it is not. It's very much a dynamic and challenging career and very worthwhile to be part of — you make a difference every day," Kellett says. "I had considered other health-care professions but what attracted me to nursing is that nurses are the people who have a long-term relationship with the patients. I think the bond between nurse and patient is like no other in the health-care field."

While the number of male nurses is growing in Canada, with men accounting for just six per cent of all nurses, there's much room for improvement. Now is also the perfect time to get into the field, Kellett explains. With many nurses from the baby boomer era expected to retire in the coming years, he cites the Canadian Nurses Association as predicting a shortfall of 113,000 registered nurses by 2016.

"In terms of job security, you really can't ask for much better."

The U of L, and its partner Lethbridge College, will help satisfy some of that need with a pair of program offerings. Currently, the Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA) program is available as a four-year baccalaureate program in conjunction with Lethbridge College. Its numbers have steadily been on the rise in recent years with more than 172 first-year students currently enrolled (with 564 in the entire four-year program).

New to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the fall is an after-degree program that will accept initially a class of 35 students. This is for those who already have a degree and who meet the inherent prerequisites. Offered in an accelerated format, it consists of six consecutive semesters.

"It's very demanding but you could train to be a nurse in two years," Kellett says. "From the point of view of getting through education and getting into the workforce, it is a very attractive option for some people."

Kellett is testimony to the many avenues nursing can take people. He says training as a generalist in the health-care field opens innumerable doors and offers a diversity within a career that is entirely unique. In his 14 years as a nurse, he's held positions in Newfoundland, Texas, northern Manitoba and southern Alberta, working on surgical floors, at remote nursing stations, as a primary health-care manager, in the emergency room and now as an instructor.

Given all that, at the end of the day, it's mostly about connecting with people.

"If you want to have a job where you have the potential to make a difference in people's lives every day, nursing is a great option," he says.

GET THE FACTS

• Kellett earned his bachelor of nursing degree from Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in St. John's, Nlfd. and is currently working on a master's degree from Memorial

• The Feb. 13 Men in Nursing Recruitment Day runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Morning sessions are being held in AH117 with the afternoon sessions in the Nursing Skills Lab, PE040

• As of April 1, 2009 a first-year Registered Nurse in Alberta will earn $32.34/hour before educational adjustments or shift differentials (approximately $60,000/year, if working full-time)

• For more information on the U of L's nursing programs, see the Faculty of Health Sciences website (www.uleth.ca/healthsciences/nursing)

UNews - Nursing Skills Lab

U of L uses recent minister visit to full advantage

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Nursing a viable career path for men

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