In 2010, the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, the accrediting body for nursing programs in Canada, became part of the Accreditation of Interprofessional Health Education initiative. In turn, interprofessional education (IPE) is now a requirement in nursing curricula. Although the requirement is formally in place, how it is achieved…

This paper reviews the foundational literature of contemporary e-learning, with a focus on scaffolding, instructional design, and engagement. These concepts are then considered in two limited case studies, each involving e-learning and adult learners--in particular, nurse-learners. The first case study describes the use of a scaffolding model…

Nurses in Canada face diverse challenges to their ongoing educational pursuits. As a result, they have been early adopters of courses and programs based on distance education principles and, in particular, online learning models. In the study described in this paper, nurses studying at two northern universities, in programs involving online…

Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, is currently the only post-secondary institution in that province to offer a part-time Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BScN) program for Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) through a blended learning model. This program represents a "bridge" from the nurse's college diploma and offers a…

This paper describes a faculty development model called the highly relevant mentoring (HRM) model; the model includes a framework as well as some practical strategies for meeting the professional development needs of faculty who teach web-based courses. The paper further emphasizes the need for faculty and administrative buy-in for HRM and…

Social media allows for a wealth of social interactions. More recently, there is a growing use of social media for the purposes of health education. Using an adaptation of the Networked student model by Drexler (2010) as a conceptual model, this article conducts a literature review focusing on the use of social media for health education purposes.…

The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to share the strengths, challenges, and tensions of using Facebook in an undergraduate nursing program. The observations presented have emerged from information shared by study participants and the professional insights of the three researcher-authors who represent perspectives from nursing,…

The use of WebCT in the Laurentian University Bachelor of Science in Nursing program began in 2001 when faculty were eager to explore different modes of delivery for fourth-year courses. Since then, the use of WebCT within the baccalaureate program has increased substantively. This paper outlines the developmental growth of the use of this…

Most schools of nursing utilize technology to deliver courses, and entire curricula, through a combination of face to face (f2f), web-enhanced, and fully online strategies. Challenges associated with course delivery may include geographic and technological barriers, lack of instructional design support, inconsistent, inadequate or unreliable…

Historically, nursing education has recognized that writing enhances critical thinking, the basis of the clinical reasoning process. The online learning recently adopted by Nursing involves considerable writing, which may enhance critical thinking more than face-to-face courses. In the study reported here, the critical thinking and writing…

A study of registered nurses participating in an Internet-based cardiac education program included analysis of online discussion forums. Comments about evidence-based theory and discipline-specific wiring indicated that the environment facilitated online scholarly discourse. Interactions provided moral, technical, and academic support to…

This article explores the effectiveness of writing to help nurse-learners develop critical thinking in an asynchronous, online learning environment. The formal written assignments of students in an online nursing health assessment program were analyzed for evidence of critical thinking according to Johns' Model of Structured Reflection (Johns,…