In Technological growth Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education Its Nursing Faculty and IT Staff has become the main focus of nursing discussions main pints are discussed in this blog post.
Nursing Faculty for Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education
The Learning Resource Center Nursing faculty members in individual courses also use the LRC, and their needs must be accommodated as well. Nursing faculty members need to communicate as far in advance as possible when their courses require use of the laboratory setting. In some programs, this is built into the course schedule, and is done well before the beginning of the semester. In other programs, it is up to the individual instructors to integrate the LRC experience as they see the need.
An optimal LRC setting would be one in which all students who needed to use the LRC at the same time would have all of the equipment and space they needed to be able to meet their objectives. The optimal situation is not always possible. Many times, students need to share equipment and space in order to accommodate the number of students who need experiences with the resources available.
It may be necessary to restrict times when students can come in for independent practice, if it conflicts with the needs of a class that is scheduled for a learning experience at a given time. If there is not staff dedicated solely to the LRC, then the instructors who are in the laboratory need to be accountable to their students and take actions to enhance its operation.
They need to be oriented to the center before using it, to be knowledgeable in the operation of required equipment, and to obtain needed supplies to ensure that the students’ needs are met. Students, too, need to have clear guidelines as to their roles and expectations when using the LRC. Published guidelines of hours, programs, activities, rules, and regulations need to be distributed to students, so that this information is clear to all. An initial orientation will also enable students to be familiar with what the LRC offers, and will help them to meet their objectives. Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education Its Nursing Faculty and IT Staff.
Other Users Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education
Depending on the program, members of the community may also be using the LRC. Programs that invite community members in for various health screenings and health education activities frequently conduct these activities in the LRC. This can become a valuable learning experience, but it is important to ensure the safety of the community members during their visit.
Depending on the parent institution and the types of health programs offered, there may be other disciplines that need to share space in the LRC. Students in other programs, such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physician’s Assistant, Respiratory Therapy, EMT, and Medicine may have a portion of their educational experiences occur in the LRC.
Scheduling then needs to occur according to the dictates of the parent institution, and the objectives of the other disciplines. Blocks of time may be set aside for use by another discipline, or students from different disciplines may be sharing the space at the same time. As long as the learners have clear objectives and guidelines, the learning experiences should not be compromised. Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education Its Nursing Faculty and IT Staff.
IT staff for Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education
To use the technology that is available in the LRC to its fullest potential, it is necessary to work cooperatively with the Information Technology (IT) staff of the institution. Information Technology staff members will need to work collaboratively with the center staff to ensure that the technology tools in the LRC are properly installed.
Simulation mannequins and virtual reality programs also may require trouble-shooting, at times, and the Information Technology staff can be very helpful in ensuring smooth functioning of this equipment. To ensure easy access to problem-solving technology, easy-to-follow directions should be posted adjacent to the technology, with direct line numbers for IT personnel. Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education Its Nursing Faculty and IT Staff.
Organization of Activities That Occur in the Laboratory
Because of the variety of learners and learning experiences that take place in the LRC, scheduling and organizing activities are extremely important. LRC calendars, or schedules, need to be carefully developed with all of the planned activities well identified. Confusion and conflict can be prevented by a clearly labeled schedule.
It is advisable to have an overall calendar identifying all of the activities planned for a semester, and then publishing a weekly, and/or daily activity schedule, to guide staff, faculty, and students in the activities that have been scheduled during a given time frame. Some institutions have placed these schedules on a computerized platform, such as Blackboard, which provides easy and quick visualization of all the LRC activities.
There are laboratory sessions scheduled as components of courses; there are scheduled times students can come in and practice; there may be scheduled testing sessions, or informal learning activities planned. Whatever activity needs to take place, there needs to be adequate space and equipment to accommodate the needs of the participants.
Many times, various activities can supplement and complement one another, as students from various disciplines, programs, and courses can work alongside each other, sharing information while each accomplishes their own objectives. In this manner, students may actually enhance their learning while contributing to the learning experience of others.
At other times, too much activity will impede the students’ ability to concentrate, perform, and learn. Multiple requests for experiences need to be considered carefully. Although the inclination would be to grant all requests for experiences in the LRC, there has to be a balance in order that optimal experiences can take place.
There needs to be sufficient time between scheduled activities to allow for cleaning up from one experience and preparing equipment for the next. Back to back scheduling that does not allow time for adequate preparation of an area will not be conducive to the efficient completion of learning objectives. Scheduling too many activities in a short period of time may become overwhelming to the LRC staff, and to the students. Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education Its Nursing Faculty and IT Staff.
Organization of the Laboratory Supplies
Consumable equipment and other supplies in the LRC must be organized, in order to be able to find what is needed when it is needed. This is one of the most time-consuming efforts; the equipment required for each experience may change, the amount of equipment required from experience to experience may change, and the need for certain equipment may overlap.
Over time, the equipment itself may change, necessitating continuous updating and reorganization. Although it is possible to store materials in many ways, one organized way of doing so would be to store each piece of equipment in its own particular space, according to alphabetical order. But alphabetical order may not be efficient when preparing equipment necessary for particular learning experiences or practice sessions. It may be more efficient to store materials in storage bins clearly labeled with the title of the laboratory session during which they are to be used.
For example, if students are going to be learning to start a peripheral intravenous line, if all of the angiocaths, tourniquets, 2 2s, alcohol swabs, Betadine wipes, and saline locks are all stored together, simply locating and pulling out the bin marked “Peripheral Intravenous Start Equipment” saves the person setting up from having to obtain all of the individual components from the areas in which they are stored.
Several boxes stored together and labeled “1 of 2” and “2 of 2,” is one solution if one box cannot contain all of the materials needed. Occasionally, attaching an item to the outside of a storage box may be necessary if the item is particularly large or oddly shaped. Storing sup plies in boxes allows for neat stacking and organization according to course, frequency of use, or program, depending on the purpose and use of the LRC.
If more than one group of students or a large group of students is going to be working together learning or practicing the same specific skill, or implementing the same components of care for a client in a simulation, it may be necessary to have several boxes containing identical equipment. Another aspect of organizing supplies is to encourage students to use supplies in a professional manner, and to replace what has been used, and put back what has been taken out, so that subsequent students will have the supplies readily available.
In terms of conservation of consumable supplies, always a priority in terms of budgeting, it is quite useful for students to learn to rewrap sterile packages that they have used, so that a subsequent student can reuse the same supplies without compromising the learning experience. If mannequins are going to be used in the implementation of the procedure, the fact that the supplies are no longer sterile does not matter.
Along the same lines, another helpful lesson that students can learn in the LRC is the cost of individual supplies. This is an area that has been neglected greatly in nursing education, and in these times of health-care funding inadequacies, knowledge of what supplies cost could be helpful in reducing waste in health-care facilities. Students who are cognizant of the cost of supplies can aid in reducing costs by learning to implement nursing care in an organized and efficient manner. Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education Its Nursing Faculty and IT Staff.
Maintenance Equipment of Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education
The maintenance of equipment, supplies, and space in the LRC coordinates well with the organization of the equipment. Ensuring that the equipment in the LRC is organized can contribute to creating a schedule for its maintenance. There is a constant need to track and implement maintenance for a variety of items, in many different areas.
In order to enable the mannequins to continue to be used for skills, such as inserting tubes and infusing fluids, there are regular and routine maintenance tasks that need to be done. Regularly lubricating areas, cleaning and drying tubing through which fluids are infused, and generally cleaning parts is a necessary part of maintenance. Despite this routine care, the mannequins do suffer from the wear and tear of the frequent use they receive.
Caring for other equipment used in the LRC also needs to be scheduled on a regular basis. There is a large assortment of support equipment used in the teaching and implementation of client-care procedures that requires maintenance: pumps, aspirators; devices for measuring vital signs—sphygmomanometers, electronic blood pressure machines, pulse ox meters, electronic thermometers, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, audiometers, to name a few.
These tools need to be inspected on a routine basis, and interventions need to be performed when indicated. Even tasks such as the replacement of batteries, bulbs, and tubing need to be performed regularly, in order to maintain optimal functioning. One method of ensuring these tasks are routinely implemented is to assign a staff member, or instructor, to perform checks on a recurring basis, perhaps once a month.
All of the durable medical equipment needs to be maintained; some of it may be under warranty and the cost and schedule for repairs and preventive maintenance are covered. Other equipment may need routine servicing, which would need to be factored into the budget so that funding is available when required. Simpler maintenance tasks, such as bed-making, and keeping the linens for the beds and examination tables clean and organized, can also be tracked by means of a schedule. Learning Resource Center In Nursing Education Its Nursing Faculty and IT Staff.
Read More:
https://nurseseducator.com/ learning-resource-center-in-nursing-education-its-skills-or-competencies
https://nurseseducator.com/learning-resource-center-in-nursing-education-its-self-directed-learning
AI in Healthcare Content Creation: A Double-Edged Sword and Scary
Social Links:
https://www.facebook.com/nurseseducator/
https://www.instagram.com/nurseseducator/