Far Flung Campuses Northern Lakes College campuses are as diverse as their students. Each campus captures the flavor of their local community. High Prairie’s campus is off Main Street, nestled by the train tracks in a strip mall. Slave Lake’s brick building shares space with the Aquatic Centre, and Valleyview’s Practical Nurse Program occupies a big open space – classroom, lab and lecturer’s office all in one. Grande Prairie’s students and instructors are tightly contained in a portable building. But regardless of the location or size, the campuses that offer the Practical Nurse Program offer students the same experience.
Every student in the Practical Nurse Program at Northern Lakes College can expect approachable in-person faculty; impressive technology to support distance learning; and state of the art simulation labs, complete with expensive patient simulators that are given endearing nicknames by the students. It is clear that every student experience is of the same high quality. There is no lessening in expert instruction, or quality of amenities because of this small model. But the program is more than the tangible services offered to students – the instructors complete the experience.
Quality of Instructors “We only hire people who are strong clinicians and then support them in becoming strong teachers,” explains
Bonnie. Instructors have to be very independent, as they are often the only instructor on a remote campus. Bonnie’s challenge is to create a strong sense of team for instructors who live up to 1500 kilometers apart. They are committed to getting together in person three times a year, for continuing education, networking, support and some fun. “When you choose to be an educator here, you have the opportunity to share your passion for nursing with the students. We teach the students that they will be leaders and as instructors, if we role model compassion, then our students will too,” says Coordinator Shona Hommy-Bugarin. Shona sums up the philosophy of the Northern Lakes instructors. “We teach >
care | winter 2012
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