Update: On-Line Resources for Nurse Educators

We are actively developing the IUBAT BScN curriculum as an Online Educational Resource [OER] for nurse educators in low-resource settings. Our vision is to provide the complete BScN curriculum on-line, including classroom lectures, references and learning resources, assignments and exams, checklists for clinical practice, and administrative policies. Although our focus is on “training the trainers”, the overall goal for Bangladesh Health Project remains: “To develop nursing leaders who can contribute significantly to improve population health”.

With support from the Commonwealth of Learning and the UNESCO Chair in OER at Athabasca University, we have created a “Teachers Guide” for users of the OER. A first draft of the Guide is available below.  Over time, we will develop this Guide further, so we welcome your feedback. We also plan to create an advisory group or “community of practice” of nurse educators from various backgrounds who will ensure the OER remains current, relevant, and appropriately adapted for low-resource settings. We hope you will join us in cultivating this new resource. If you are interested in details or would like to participate, please contact us.

Teacher-Guide-v1.1.pdf

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Volunteer Faculty Recounts Experiences as a Student in Bangladesh

Audrey Ferguson, a volunteer faculty member for the Bangladesh Health Project, was featured on the website of the U.S. State Department for her experiences in Bangladesh as an international student. Audrey taught at IUBAT during the summer of 2014, but previously had travelled to Dhaka as part of her training through a U.S. State Department program called the ‘Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS)’. The CLS offers an fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students, and in Audrey’s interview, she attributes her ability to adapt to a new environment and her flexibility and cultural competence partly to her experiences in Bangladesh.

Here, Audrey is pictured with fellow volunteer faculty, Jim Ofonda, along with staff nurses at the National Institute of Mental Health in Dhaka.

 Thank you for volunteering with the Project, Audrey, and best of luck with your future plans!

IUBAT Alumna Writes about Success Overseas

Shrijana Dhakal, an IUBAT BSN alumna, recently wrote to the faculty about her initial struggles and her eventual success in America. 

Shrijana writes: “I came to the United States on March 11th, 2013, and at that time I did not yet have my RN license. Despite my predicament, however, I persisted in seeking a position in different states. Although I received disapproving responses from many states, I finally obtained a positive response from the Texas Board of Nursing. From that starting point, I sought the services of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), who requested the necessary documents directly from IUBAT.  After getting my Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) report from CGFNS, I was eligible to write the NCLEX exam, which is the official examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States. I wrote and passed the exam in 75 questions on June 21, 2014!  I was able to succeed in this process only due to support and help from Dr. Karen Lund, Rabiul, and my family and friends.”

Thanks for sharing your update from America, Shrijana, and congratulations on your great news!