 |
Barbara Sittner, Ph.D., assistant professor, UNMC College of Nursing, (second from right), explains how patient simulator, Noelle, works, to Princess Muna Al Hussein, wife of the late King Hussein and mother to His Majesty King Abdullah II, King of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. To the Princess’s right is Majedah El-Banna, Ph.D., dean of nursing, Al-Zaytoonah Private University (AZPU), Wafaa Abbas, Ph.D., head of the Maternal-Child Health Department at AZPU, and Sheila Ryan, Ph.D., Charlotte Peck Lienemann & Alumni Distinguished Chair, UNMC College of Nursing. |
Four UNMC College of Nursing faculty members recently traveled to Amman, Jordan, to conduct faculty development workshops at Al-Zaytoonah Private University (AZPU). The 10-day visit fulfilled part of a three-year partnership agreement established in 2004 to advance nursing education in Jordan and the Arab region. The agreement includes sharing the UNMC College of Nursing’s traditional and online nursing education and clinical curriculum, as well as providing faculty training.
The partnership began with informal discussions between Sheila Ryan, Ph.D., Charlotte Peck Lienemann & Alumni Distinguished Chair, UNMC College of Nursing, and Majeda El-Banna, Ph.D., while Dr. El-Banna was pursuing her doctoral degree from the college. Dr. Ryan also is director of International Nursing Education Programs.
Dr. El-Banna now is dean of faculty of nursing and general secretary of the Scientific Association of Arab Nursing Faculties at AZPU. Dr. El-Banna’s goal is to improve nursing education at AZPU, where about 1,100 are enrolled in the bachelor’s degree in nursing.
The focus of the recent visit was to share expertise in clinical and academic instruction and issues, as well as provide instruction in teaching human patient simulators. The group also discussed care of the elderly and health policy and aging issues. Traveling with Dr. Ryan were Joyce Black, Ph.D., associate professor, Barb Sittner, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Rosalee Yeaworth, Ph.D., former dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, who continues to teach.
 |
One of the cultural experiences UNMC nursing faculty experienced in Jordan was a visit to Jerash, considered one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside of Italy. From left to right: Amaal Jaras, Ph.D, head of the Adult Health Department, Al-Zaytoonah Private University (AZPU), Majedah El-Banna, Ph.D., dean of nursing, AZPU, Barbara Sittner, Ph.D., UNMC, Joyce Black, Ph.D., UNMC, Rosalee Yeaworth, Ph.D., UNMC, Diane Stoffel, archaeologist, and Sheila Ryan, Ph.D., UNMC. |
“The faculty and dean were most pleased with the workshop Drs. Black and Sittner delivered,” Dr. Ryan said. “At first they were reluctant with the simulators. It was like big people playing dolls. But they became more engaged, and have now asked us to come back for more assistance in all elements of clinical instruction, including going on rounds with them.”
Dr. Sittner said faculty reviewed obstetric and medical/surgical courses and discussed objectives, assignments, unit examinations and clinical rotations.
“It truly was a life-enriching experience for all, where nurse educators from two different countries found their concerns related to teaching not unique and together shared strategies to problem-solve educational issues,” Dr. Sittner said.
Dr. Black said in addition to teaching with simulation and mannequins, much of the conversation between UNMC and AZPU faculty was on such common teaching dilemmas as how to keep students interested, how to maximize learning patient care and the challenge of recruiting nursing faculty.
“The discussion around these questions solidified the relationships and bonded us together as having very similar issues in teaching today. Nurses in Jordan and the Middle East, as a whole, are very respected and very well paid,” Dr. Black said. “Enrollments at AZPU are high, reflecting these values and the classes are largely male students. UNMC faculty were impressed at the interaction of the faculty with the large number of students, even though we were visiting during finals week, students knew who we were and came to some of our lectures.”
With help and guidance from UNMC faculty and staff, Dr. El-Banna established five AZPU Learning Resource Center classrooms where students have access to state-of-the-art computers as well as the patient simulators.
“They’re really beautifully done,” Dr. Ryan said. “Majeda has received many professional kudos from her colleagues because she’s done so much in such a short time. We helped her with what she said she needed. The king’s mother was so impressed with the progress in the labs and role of the simulators in patient care, that she is urging the military schools of nursing to develop the simulated learning.”
 |
Sheila Ryan, Ph.D., walks across the Wadi Rum desert while in Jordan fulfilling part of a three-year educational partnership agreement. |
“Our College of Nursing at AZPU is the first university in Jordan with a learning resource center and patient simulators,” Dr. El-Banna said. “We currently are working on improving educational outcomes by introducing online courses to enable education innovation and increase learner engagement in the learning process. We are striving to be a Center of Excellence in Nursing in the Middle East with the help of UNMC.”
One of the highlights of the Jordan visit was participating in the opening of AZPU’s Learning Resource Center (LRC). The event was attended by dignitaries, including Her Royal Highness, Princess Muna Al Hussein, wife of the late King Hussein, and mother to His Majesty King Abdullah II, King of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Dr. Sittner said the patient simulator, Noelle, is particularly helpful to male nursing students. In the Middle East culture, quite frequently laboring women do not allow male nursing students in the delivery room. Noelle” allows a simulated environment where the nursing students learn how to care for a woman during labor and birth. Noelle is now a part of their clinical orientation to labor and delivery.
During the visit, Jordanian and UNMC faculty also discussed the health of the elderly. Dr. Yeaworth made a presentation on the college’s curriculum on health policy and gerontology.
“We had discussions and compared issues,” Dr. Yeaworth said. “We talked about common illnesses, lifespan, social security, nursing homes and assisted living. Princess Muna is quite interested in health and elderly health in particular.”
Dr. El-Banna said she and her colleagues are looking forward to continued collaboration. “The exchange visit helped us to learn how education is different around the world, as well as helped us understand cultural differences between the West and the East,” she said.
Dr. Ryan hopes to renew an agreement with AZPU. “Most of our current agreement is completed. Another goal is to help their faculty earn Ph.D.s. through our program, and we’ll continue to welcome students and share online course strategies.”