Media Advisory
The annual National Nursing Week is an opportunity to look at the practice of nursing and the contributions of nurses to the health-care system.
This year’s Canadian Nurses Association theme is Nurses: With you every step of the way, emphasizing how important nurses are to all Canadians on a daily basis.
The University of Lethbridge and the Faculty of Health Sciences has a number of resources available to journalists looking to create stories on nurses and nursing. From the use of smartphone applications at the point of care, to research work from a graduate student who is examining the resources available to rural male caregivers, these are just two examples of the great breadth of expertise available for your readers and viewers.
Please feel free to contact the following researchers and educators directly to discuss any stories related to your National Nursing Week coverage, or contact Trevor Kenney for any other nursing related story ideas you may want to pursue.
Dr. Monique Sedgwick (RN, Faculty of Health Sciences)
Monique and her team recently completed a study where they explored undergraduate nursing students’ clinical decision-making and critical thinking ability at the point of care while using a professional smartphone application. Students who did not use the application and their phone at the point of care demonstrated higher clinical decision-making and critical thinking ability than students who used the application. That is, students who used the app demonstrated statistically significant differences in the critical thinking attributes of intellectual perseverance, willingness to engage in predictive thinking and full mindedness. They relied heavily on the application and did not question the information or seek out further information. We concluded that while there are numerous advantages associated with using professional applications on mobile phones at the point of care, the user must continue to be an active learner and engage in a spirit of inquiry.
Contact: Dr. Monique Sedgwick, 403-332-5254, monique.sedgwick@uleth.ca
Ryan Waldorf (BN ’06, Master of Science student)
Ryan is a registered nurse and graduate student who is researching how male caregivers of spouses with dementia in rural southern and central Alberta are supported in their roles. Through his study he is finding the emergence of consistent themes, such as men needing resources to learn how to cope with their wives’ changing emotions and their personal care.
“I want to take my research to rural communities and inform community care nurses so they have a better sense of the struggles that male caregivers face. Hopefully, they can use this information to tailor support for male caregivers that they will encounter.”
Contact: Ryan Waldorf, ryan.waldorf@uleth.ca
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Contact:
Trevor Kenney, News & Information Manager
403-329-2710
403-360-7639 (cell)
trevor.kenney@uleth.ca
