Innovative nursing team in Wabasca builds virtual training centre with cell phone, webcam and laptop
Channel: RhPAP
Date: 2021-11-26

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta Health Services trainers would come to the Wabasca/Desmarais Healthcare Centre to train nurses. Once the pandemic arrived, those AHS trainers were no longer allowed to do in-person instruction.

But the nurses needed training in protected intubation so that they wouldn't become infected by COVID positive patients who came to the hospital.

Led by assistant head nurse, John Paolo Pana, they cobbled together what they had: cell phones, a web cam, a laptop and a projector to create a virtual simulation lab.

Before you know it, they were receiving virtual simulation training from AHS trainers from Edmonton and Grande Prairie, as well as other experts from as far away as Arkansas.

Their virtual training sessions became a model for other rural communities to follow.

"We started doing this all over rural Alberta," says Dr. Sharon Reece, former community medical director at the Wabasca/Desmarais Healthcare Centre, and now assistant professor, Family of Preventative Medicine, University of Arkansas. "The interest grew and soon we were doing virtual facilitated simulation method in Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Ontario."

Since then, the Wabasca/Desmarais Healthcare Centre nursing team uses virtual simulation training for any topic they need training for, for example neonatal resuscitation as shown in the video.

The nursing team's innovative approach to virtual training has led to them being named recipients of an 2021 RhPAP Rhapsody Health-care Heroes Award. Congratulations!