For more information about the Leach College of Nursing, call (800) 735-7500 or visit www.stfrancis.edu/LCON.
Japanese Educators Learn About LCON Programs
T
he Leach College of Nursing welcomed international visitors to the Joliet campus. Representatives from a Japanese nursing association traveled from Japan to spend an afternoon to learn about online nursing courses. Three USF graduate nursing faculty members met with the Japanese Nursing Association’s Institute for Graduate Nurses executive officer, Aiko Ko, and other guests to answer questions about how to design online courses that meet the needs of graduate nursing students in nurse practitioner programs. Catherine Ferrario, associate dean of graduate programs, focused on designing curriculum that prepares students to meet examina-
tion, certification and regulation requirements. Lola Prince, clinical experiences coordinator for the Family Nurse Practitioner program, answered questions about the legal, technical, instructional and documentation issues involved in offering an advanced practice nursing e-learning program. Finally, Deena Nardi, director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, served as moderator and presented the benefits, issues and challenges inherent in graduate nursing e-learning programs “I believe we all came away with a renewed appreciation of the global nature of nursing practice and education, and the goals and values we share as health care professionals,” said Nardi.
LCON Dean Carol Wilson said it was an honor to be contacted by the Japanese Nursing Association. “The group was interested in having our graduate online nursing program serve as a well-designed, systematized model for them when they convert their traditional style classroom training and certification courses into an online format. They are especially interested in how to deliver the clinical practicum component to include coordination, close and frequent interaction with students, feedback, and effective evaluation methods over an extended period of time. These are all things at which we excel and we are happy to help them raise the level of education of their nurses,” she said.
LCON Faculty Members Receive $10,000 Fellowships Faculty members Annette Mattea and Lola Prince joined 20 other distinguished educators from Illinois in receiving Nurse Educator Fellowship Awards from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Each will receive $10,000 to be used for professional development and continuing education. The program is in its 8th year, and a total of 117 fellowships have been awarded over that time, including one to USF’s Doris Van Byssum.
University of St. Francis Magazine
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