Durham College receives $840,000 for new equipment from provincial government Posted on October 8, 2008 at 3:04 pm. October 8, 2008 Funding will significantly benefit Critical Care Nursing E-Learning graduate certificate students OSHAWA, ON. – Durham College announced today that the provincial government is investing $840,000 in one-time funding in support of the institution’s Critical Care Nursing E-Learning graduate certificate program. The funding is being provided through the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Critical Care Strategy. Durham College will distribute the funds, based on a recent needs assessment, to its 10 simulation partners across Ontario to augment existing simulation labs and facilities, ensuring these partners have the required equipment to undertake the highly specialized simulation component of the innovative program. “The provincial government’s investment in our Critical Care program will ensure students have access to the most up-to-date equipment during the simulation portion of their training, providing them with a significant advantage during their studies,” said Susan Sproul, dean of the Durham College School of Health & Community Services, which oversees the program. The partner institutions receiving funds are Cambrian, Centennial, Confederation, Fanshawe, Georgian, Northern, Sault and Seneca colleges, along with Queen’s University and the University of Windsor. Two new simulation partners will also be added within the next 12 to 18 months. Among the equipment being purchased are mechanical ventilators, defibrillators and triple-channel volumetric infusion pumps. The critical care program provides an interactive teaching and learning environment for current and future nurses that utilizes three key components to build student confidence while learning highly specialized critical care skills in an innovative and realistic environment. Students begin the program with six theoretical courses via the Internet, enabling them to learn at their own pace and to schedule studies around work and home commitments. They then participate in hands-on simulation training at Durham College’s state-of-the-art, 5,700-square-foot simulation lab or at one of the partner institutions. Students then complete their learning by gaining on-the-job experience in a critical care setting of their choice under the direct supervision of an experienced critical care nurse preceptor. “This funding will allow us to strengthen our partnerships and provide more opportunities for new and experienced nurses throughout Ontario to gain training in an area that is critical to our province’s future health-care needs,” said Sandra Goldsworthy, co-ordinator of the Critical Care Nursing program. This announcement comes one year after the college received a $1 million contract from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to establish the program as part of an initiative to improve the quality of nursing care throughout the province. The program, which began in September 2007, was developed to standardize education and meet the new provincial standards for critical care, in addition to increasing accessibility of critical care education to all nurses in Ontario. The first graduating class will be celebrated at this year’s Durham College fall convocation in October. The provincial government predicts a steady increase in the demand for critical care services over the next 20 years as Ontario’s population continues to grow and age. With this demographic shift in mind, Durham College’s Critical Care Nursing E-Learning Graduate Certificate program will help meet this demand and has the potential to improve patient care and reduce hospital wait times. About Durham College Durham College is the premier college in Canada for career-focused students who will succeed in a challenging, supporting and inclusive learning environment. Offering approximately 80 full-time market-driven programs and hundreds of part-time and continuing education courses, the college has provided students with access to exceptional teachers with real-world experience for more than 40 years. With a graduate employment rate of over 90 per cent and employer satisfaction rate of 95.6 per cent, Durham College gives students everything they need to obtain great careers and make a difference in the world. The college has more than 6,100 full-time students, thousands of part-time students and almost 1,600 apprentices. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000. Media contact: Michelle Roebuck Communications and Marketing michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca Disclaimer: The contact information provided in archived news releases was current at the release date. For current information please contact Communications, Marketing and External Relations. SHARE:
App Store
Google Play