by

R. Marjorie Drury
Assistant Professor
Trinity Western University
drury@twu.ca

Other Interim Strategies. The immediate purchase of one portable fully equipped cart, which later could be housed in the lab, was only the first suggestion. Ongoing software evaluation and new purchases for existing computers was recommended. In addition to these acquisitions that needed to be made, attention was given to increasing student exposure to computer use. Sessions were proposed, beginning in the next term, to provide e-mail and word-processing opportunities. The appropriate technical support for teaching these skills was already present at Grant MacEwan Community College. Staff from Computing Services were alerted to the need for these 300 students to be given accounts for e-mail and word-processing functions. They were prepared to provide support in the following term to help the nursing students get on line and begin communicating with faculty who were already using their e-mail functions. Faculty were encouraged to attend workshops and related teaching sessions on computer use for several functions, including computer-assisted instruction, word-processing and e-mail programs. In addition, the technology committee from the Nursing Department was challenged to begin encouraging faculty to integrate these computer skills and capabilities into existing courses.

Based on the findings of the assessments done during the consultation phase and observation of student and faculty involvement, several considerations were identified that would require implementation, pending approval and acquisition of funds. The specifics of the proposal are not included here because they are linked to the individual requirements of the nursing program for which they were developed; however, the general categories of recommendations included the following areas:

• Size of cohorts and actual lab specifications.
• Environmental concerns: making the lab conducive to learning.
• Ergonomic concerns: making the lab comfortable and efficient for students.
• Security aspects: protecting the property and ensuring safe operation.
• Security of information transmission: ethical considerations for student and faculty confidentiality.
• Storage and other space needs.
• Institutional support: immediate and ongoing.
• Computer technology support: taking responsibility for the labıs functioning.

The proposal also included an anticipated time line for learning lab development, an annotated reading list to be made available to educators, contact names of other nursing programs using computer technology, and future concerns to be addressed. Although the cost of hiring a consultant for assessment and proposal development was considerable, both the administration and nurse educators of the program acknowledged the benefits of having such a concentrated piece of work done without overtaxing the already heavy planning and teaching loads. A commitment to preparing their students to understand and utilize the tools of nursing informatics to meet the expanding needs of health care was a motivating factor for this program. As the proposal took shape, the project moved from an acknowledgment that "something had to be done" to a concrete plan of action, including interim steps, that made the anticipated lab a desired and attainable goal.