Lakehead U Nursing Program, Northern Ontario School of Medicine Awarded Two National Research Grants for Clinical Placements
(Thunder Bay
- December 16, 2005) Lakehead
University's
collaborative nursing program and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine have been
awarded two research grants by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing
(CASN).
These grants will be the first to provide Canadian data to answer
important questions about clinical placements. The grants run from now until
March 2007.
Dr. Michel Morton, School
of Nursing, Lakehead
University, and Dr. Patricia Smith,
Division of Human Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, along with
co-investigators who teach in the Collaborative Nursing Program, were awarded $50,000
each - representing two of the three national grants offered by CASN - for
investigating strategies for delivering clinical placements in Canada.
"Clinical placements are an important educational component for
health professionals," says Dr. Morton. "Unfortunately, placements seem to be
in short supply. It is not clear how they are identified across provinces, and
the costs are of concern."
The research involves surveying the 133 schools of nursing in Canada
as well as an additional 100 other health professional schools in order to
develop a national inventory of strategies and costs to deliver nursing and
inter-professional clinical placements for students.
"The results from this research will help inform the delivery of
clinical placements for the benefit of health care students across the country,"
says Dr. Smith. "We will also be able to determine how placement opportunities
are identified, including more non-traditional placements such as
interprofessional placements and those in Northern, rural, and remote areas."
CASN is the national voice for nursing education and nursing
research and represents nursing programs in Canada.The objective of CASN
is to lead nursing education and nursing scholarship in the interest of
healthier Canadians.
To speak with Dr. Morton or Dr. Smith, please call Marla Tomlinson
at 807-343-8177.
Lakehead
University is a comprehensive University located in Thunder Bay,
Ontario, on the shores of Lake Superior.
It has a worldwide reputation for
innovative programs and research. With over 7,500 students and 1,600 faculty
and staff, Lakehead University is home to the west campus of the Northern
Ontario School of Medicine, and is opening a satellite campus in Orillia,
Ontario, in September 2006. For more information on Lakehead University,
visit .
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is
a pioneering faculty of
medicine. The School is a joint initiative of Lakehead and Laurentian
Universities
with main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and multiple teaching
and research sites across Northern Ontario. By educating skilled
physicians and
undertaking health research suited to community needs, the School will
become a
cornerstone of community health care in Northern Ontario.
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Media Contact: Marla Tomlinson, Office of Communications,
807-343-8177 or 807-472-9113.