Nursing Practice Lab opens at IUBAT

As part of on-going campus development at IUBAT, the College of Nursing now has new laboratory space. Keeping teaching materials clean and protected from insects, dust and humidity will be much easier with curtains, air-conditioning and running water in the new facility. In addition to practicing bedside care, the lab is also suitable for microbiology experiments. The university has provided modern furniture, and we are now fund-raising to replace our aging demonstration mannequins.  Your donations are always welcome. Our only program expenses in Canada are for book-keeping; there are no overhead charges. Most money raised is spent in Bangladesh to operate the volunteers’ guest-house and to pay for educational supplies and services, and a few scholarships.

You can find our 2011 annual report, financial statement and a donation form on the website.

Collaborative action for nurse education

On December 10, IUBAT College of Nursing hosted a workshop to discuss the topic, “Collaboration for Nurse Education.” Those attending came from the public and private sectors in nurse education, health care services and policy. Participants analyzed issues that affect nurse education, including lack of qualified educators and poor educational resources, as well as negative social attitudes towards nursing. They identified joint actions such as sharing library materials, working together for quality assurance and collaborating to train nurse educators. They also proposed more dialogue between private and public sectors and urged action to inform the general public about the contribution of nurses. Finally, they considered holding a conference on nurse education in 2012. The workshop ended with agreement to create a “Nurse Education Network” that will carry forward this action plan.

Leadership development

Perhaps even more urgent than the demand for well-trained nurses in Bangladesh, is the need for effective nurse managers and educators. IUBAT faculty encourage the BSN students to think of themselves as future leaders of the profession. Their studies in Nursing Administration help them develop some skills. This course is also attended by practicing nurses and managers from our teaching hospital partners, ICDDRB and United Hospitals. The experienced practitioners always help the IUBAT students gain a realistic perspective on the challenges of management. The course includes a hospital management workshop, shown in this photo. In this day-long simulation, participants solve various problems related to personnel and care management issues. Visiting faculty Moira Cameron and Sam Simpson assisted Alex Berland in presenting the workshop.