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Newsletter Issue No. Fall 2014-02 Mission The Faculty of Health fosters student success and contribution in local, national and international communities as transformational leaders in health and education through quality programming, service and scholarship. Message from Dr. Tru Freeman, Dean – Faculty of Health (FoH) Health Care Assistant Program has a new arrival!!! Kwantlen contributes to the 2014 BC Seniors Games in Langley. A year after it began, it's over. KPU BSN students community projects Heart and Stroke Big bike race Sa Wat Dee Ka ..Thailand Faculty Visit… Thanks for the great service at CGH Visit to the Scottish Dementia Working Group {SDWG} Innovative learning Scapes Conference in Alaska
Message from Dr. Tru Freeman, Dean – Faculty of Health (FoH) With a Request FoH Proposal (RFP) submission to the Ministry of Advanced Education, we were successful in obtaining one-time funding for an additional 32 students in our Health Care Assistant (HCA) program. Upon successful completion of their HCA certificate, students can consider a degree completion opportunity our Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing (BPN) program, entering the degree program in semester three. The FoH has implemented several initiatives over the past four years to successfully achieve our Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) targets. Degree program admission requirements have been changed; FTE target numbers have been shifted within our FoH programs; and new FoH programming have been the keys to our success. The FoH hired a subject matter expert for the new Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) program slated to begin in 2016. We are partnering with the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM), and have had several conversations with them as to how to make our students successful in this program. In June, the KPU Board of Governors approved the KPU Academic Plan, 2018. This comprehensive document aligns with KPU Strategic Vision 2018 and addresses four overarching academic goals that will guide academic planning over the next four years to: 1) offer exceptional learning environments attuned to learners; 2) increase experiential learning opportunities; 3) define learning outcomes and methods of demonstrating student capability; and 4) ensure student success and well-being. This fall, the FoH will take their previous 2013 DRAFT Academic Plan and align it with KPU’s. The FoH worked very closely with the KPU External Director and the Langley 2014 B.C. Senior Games Society to provide health volunteers and equipment for the BC Senior Games, September 9 – 13th, 2014 in Langley, B.C. This speaks to KPU’s Academic Plan 2018 strategy and action of “encouraging community-engaged scholarship that aims primarily to benefit community life through teaching, discovery, integration and application of learning”. It was an incredible event and amazing weather; see more stories of the Langley Senior Games in this edition of the newsletter. "Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength." Betty Friedan (1921-2006) |
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Health Care Assistant Program has a new arrival!!! By: Judith DeGroot The Health Care Assistant program welcomed a second cohort of students for the Fall intake. FOH was granted “one-time” AVED funding for an additional intake of students interested in bridging into BPN from the HCA program. 13 students were admitted into the program. In addition to completing the certificate, these students were also offered the opportunity to complete the Biology courses required for admission into nursing. After only two weeks of study, the students envisioned a benefit to their nursing careers from having this foundation in the care of the elderly! |
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Kwantlen contributes to the 2014 BC Seniors Games in Langley. By: Carol Hansen We, Marlyn Graziano, Corry Anderson-Fennell, Carol Hansen and Connie Klimek took on this project in August 2013. From September 9 through to the 13, 2014 there were 4000 athletes ranging from 55 to 95 years of age participating in the competitions which included hockey, soccer, bocce ball, baseball, track and field curling etc! We worked with local physicians, physios and pharmacists to provide treatment and support for the athletes. Our clinic was open from 8:30 to 5:00 and we treated at least 20 athletes everyday at the clinic. Our volunteers were at 14 different venues providing onsite support to all participants. We were GREAT! Our deepest thanks to the faculty and students who came and supported us-on several days! KPU is now known across the province for dedication, organization and humor. |
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A year after it began, it's over. By: Connie Klimek The BC Seniors Games (BCSG) planning culminated in a 25-sport, 21 venue, and 5-day marathon for participants and volunteers alike: exciting, exhilarating and exhausting. KPU deserves huge credit for, once again, making huge ‘strides’ in connecting campus to community and moving KPU Vision 2018 from ‘vision’ to reality. In July 2013, Marlyn Graziano, KPU Director External Affairs added a new hat: “Director, BCSG Medical Services”. Marlyn invited 3 colleagues to join in her pursuit; Corry Anderson-Fennel, KPU Manager Media & Communications donned the title “Chair, BCSG Medical Volunteers” ; Carol Hansen, Faculty, SETA & HCAP became “BCSG Chair, Medical Clinic” and Connie Klimek, Faculty, BSN augmented her role to “BCSG Chair, Medical Venues”. Although strangers in 2013, after a year of working closely together, we are now great friends, better colleagues and a very effective KPU team. The Games ended last night. The venues have been dismantled. The supplies have been returned to their rightful owners. It’s the day after. The step-counter on my wrist squeals with delight, “You’re a Champ! You took 19,000 steps yesterday (10 miles)”. I pause to ponder my achievement. Yes, I suppose my calves do feel a bit tight. Yes, it does feel good. Where’s the bucket and mitt to wash my car? It served so well. It, too, was “a champ” moving between donors and venues: ice from McDonalds, tents from Canadian Tire, AEDs from Valley First Aid and Grab n’ Go medical kits from KPU (the list goes on). I pause. I think about all the businesses that stepped up ~ no charge, generous. Mmmm... The pail fills. My mitt saturates. The bubbles rise on my arm. My mind drifts to the volunteers: their shirts - grey, orange, green and black - some with collars, some without. It didn’t matter. Beneath each collared or un-collared color was a person. That person volunteered huge amounts of time and energy. Each gave freely, happily and generously. Many rose at 0430 and left their post 15-18 hours later, hungry ~ yet satisfied. Each a tireless runner. Each a free-will giver. I plunk the mitt on the hood of the car. It’s Sunday; the day after. It’s gonna be another warm one. The Randy Travis tune playing in the background summarizes my thoughts... “It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you.... It’s what you leave behind you when you’re gone.” |
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KPU BSN students community projects By: Balbir Gurm Students in the BSN-PB program spend 6 hours per week working with community agencies on Global Health issues in semester 6 of a 7 semester program. In the BSN program, in semester 7, students spend 6 hours per week working on a community change project. One of the global health issues is domestic violence. The rate of gender violence for females is one in three internationally and one in four in Canada. The students created wonderful products as a part of their practice experience.
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Heart and Stroke Big bike race By: Michele La Vie On May 8th, Jean Nicolson-Church, Stephanie Howes and myself participated on behalf of the Faculty of Health in the “KPU’s Got Heart” Heart and Stroke Foundation Big Bike race. It was an event to support heart and stroke research. The “race” was around the downtown city of Langley. I thought it would be a strenuous cardio activity and I was worried. I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into. Imagine, if you will, a bike that holds 29 people, with a conductor and music emcee at the front. We hooted and howled and used noise makers and to get people’s attention as we completed a leisurely bike ride through Langley. You would think riding a bike with 29 people would be hard …. not! The bike ride was fun and easy! It was a beautiful morning and clouds rolled in that afternoon, after our race! What began as an encouragement (arm twisting) to attend, quickly grew for me into a challenge to raise money for a worthy cause. The minimum fundraising commitment was $50 and that was all I was going to commit to when this all began. But once I had time to think about why I really agreed to it, it became personal and the drive was there. My father passed away a few years ago. He suffered from strokes and heart disease, which eventually progressed into dementia and Alzheimer's. I watched my vibrant, brilliant, full-of-life and loving father go from a tower of strength to an unrecognizable shell. So, I knew I had to take action. My fundraising success went from $50 to $1,500! The FoH raised $1,925 in total and the KPU’s Got Heart team donated a total of $6,915. Way to go everybody! |
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By: Arleigh Bell Great turnout for the Surrey Pow Wow on Saturday, September 20, 2014. There were many competitors from the very young to the elders. President Alan Davis was present for the competition of drumming, dancing and celebration. |
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Sa Wat Dee Ka ..Thailand Faculty Visit… By: Arleigh Bell On September 2, 2014 three educators from Mahasarakham University in Thailand arrived in Vancouver. The faculty was part of an education tour to learn about high fidelity simulation, student learning using this technology and how simulation is embedded throughout curriculum within the Faculty of Health. The Thai faculty participated in labs, simulation practice and attended the senior games as well as some touring of our beautiful surroundings such as Grouse Mountain and UBC Museum of Anthropology. The Thai faculty provided Thai food when they participated in a student potluck with the BSNPB students. It was a very busy 3 weeks and the weather was warm with little rain. The faculty learned a great deal from our programs and members of the FOH are in the process of working through the details for an international research project both with simulation and without. Several faculty and students will be involved in these research projects with a potential for BPN students to go to Thailand in March 2015 as part of their Global Health course. The opportunities for collaboration are endless… |
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Thanks for the great service at CGH Story forwarded from: Catherine Schwichtenberg Ayodele Oni. Way to go - both for excellent nursing and establishing a professional and caring presence with your patient. It's not often students or nurses get to see a letter like this. Congratulations! The letter is on page 9 - headlined "Thanks for the great service at CGH".
Visit to the Scottish Dementia Working Group {SDWG} By: Carol Hansen, Judith DeGroot and Sharon Leitch On May 22, 2014 three university instructors from the HCAP, had the privilege of meeting with three gentlemen from the SDWG: James, Peter and David. We utilize one of their documentaries in our program and were intrigued to meet the people who are the “voice” of dementia education in Scotland. Carol, Judith and Sharon were greeted warmly by the three hosts and we spent two hours together discussing their work. We were very impressed by the outreach through skype and by the presentations of the perspectives of people living with dementia at national and international conferences. There is so much Canada can learn from the work that they do, the way they have established that researchers ask the group for permission to work with them, the way they have, in conjunction with Alzheimer Scotland, gained the Scottish government‘s attention to listen to your perspective, and how they are changing the future care for people with dementia. A critical element to success conveyed by the SDWG is that change comes from the people.. In Canada we need to find the people, to really listen to the individuals living with dementia so that they too may feel the respect that the SDWG feel. Their passion is inspiring and we will stay in touch. Our deepest gratitude to the time and experiences shared. Innovative Learning Scapes Conference in Alaska By: June Kaminski June Kaminski received a 0.6 % PD fund grant to present a conceptual paper entitled, “Cultivating a Dynamic, Nurturing e-scape for learning: A Forest Food Garden Analogy” at the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL) Conference held May 31 to June 02, 2014 in Anchorage Alaska - “the Land of the Midnight Sun”. June joined three other presenters to co-lead a Concurrent Roundtable Panel Discussion within a Transforming the Learning Scape through Technology stream. The challenge of nurturing nursing students within a blended program demands innovative and engaged activities and assignments. The development of a rich robust technological e-scape for nursing education requires intense planning and the application of diverse programs and applications. The KPU Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Post-Baccalaureate (BSN-PB) Program uses multiple technological layers, similar to the organization of a healthy, thriving forest food garden to shape the e-scape for students. When we design a forest food garden, we select plants that will create a food web and guild structure that work together to form a rigorous ecosystem. Everything grown in this type of forest is edible and sustainable. Similarly, various layers of technology that interact within the e-scape can be applied to create a rich learning ecosystem that nourishes the development of nursing knowledge, competencies, skills, and culture within the blended environment. Her session examined these layers within a forest food garden analogy to introduce how a variety of technological innovations (including Moodle, Mahara, iPads and apps, Voicethread, SIMs labs, e-texts , e-labs and so on) can be seamlessly applied to enrich and shape reflective and dynamic learning in the blended or hybrid learning environment. Participation in the conference (and joining the HETL organization as a member) provided inspiration, knowledge and educational best practice awareness that can be applied to the BSN-PB program. It also helped to showcased KPU within an international higher education conference setting. Finally, it reinforced the need to continue to conceptualize and research the methods we are using in this blended program The next Faculty of Health issue will be published in April 2015. Newsletter articles are welcome at any time, please contact Davinder.Cheema@kpu.ca for a template for your submission. Thank you! |