Nursing Practice Lab opens at IUBAT

As part of on-going campus development at IUBAT, the College of Nursing now has new laboratory space. Keeping teaching materials clean and protected from insects, dust and humidity will be much easier with curtains, air-conditioning and running water in the new facility. In addition to practicing bedside care, the lab is also suitable for microbiology experiments. The university has provided modern furniture, and we are now fund-raising to replace our aging demonstration mannequins.  Your donations are always welcome. Our only program expenses in Canada are for book-keeping; there are no overhead charges. Most money raised is spent in Bangladesh to operate the volunteers’ guest-house and to pay for educational supplies and services, and a few scholarships. You can find our 2011 annual report, financial statement and a donation form on the website www.bangladeshhealthproject.com .

 

 

IUBAT Convocation in the media

With the first batches of BSN graduates officially recognized, Convocation 2011 was the culminating event of a busy year for our project. The popular national newspaper, The Daily Star published a colourful supplement on Convocation Day and also reported on the event the following day http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=215159  . Another popular national daily, The Independent, produced pictorial coverage on the following day http://www.theindependentdigital.com/index.php?opt=view&page=32&date=2011-12-27. This is the source for the photo of Dr. Karen Lund, Chair of Health Sciences, receiving an award from the presiding Minister, Dr. Hasan Mahmud. The IUBAT website has more at www.iubat.edu.

 

Thanks to our 2011 volunteers!

We are grateful to many people who have helped the Bangladesh Health Project this year: In Canada, we thank Mid Main Community Health Centre, especially Directors Deirdre Evans and John Richards and Executive Director Irene Clarence (check out the new website at www.midmain.net ). Christina Paone (www.paonecreative.com ) designs our website and communications. VCC faculty, Kathy Fukuyama, Susan McNeill and VCC students raised funds to support their classmates’ inaugural visit to IUBAT. Melodie Hull, Tracy Lee, Rabiya Merani, Mohammed Morshed and Susie Wai supported various activities. Library staff at the College of Registered Nurses of BC passed along surplus books. In Bangladesh, visiting faculty during 2011  included Murad Bakht, Alex Berland, Moira Cameron, Monique de Groot, Dan Hawkins,   JoAnn Leavey, Karen Lund (shown in this photo), Andrea Marrie,  Gillian McKay, Susan McNeill, Sonie Meyer, Judi Morton, Linda Rollins, John Ringhisen, Ray Scott, Sam Simpson and Permjit Soomal. We appreciate their dedication.

 

 

 

Convocation for IUBAT graduates

In Bangladesh, university convocations are a special event, held only when the country’s president accepts an invitation to preside. On December 21^st 2011, IUBAT conducted its third convocation in twenty years as a university.  The President was unwell, so Dr Hasan Mahmud, a senior government minister, conferred degrees on all IUBAT graduates including those from the College of Nursing. A former professor himself, Dr Hasan noted the contribution of IUBAT’s Centre for Policy Research, which is led by Bangladesh Health Project Director, John Richards. We were especially proud that Bimala Rai (BSN 2009) was chosen from among the eight hundred graduates to be Valedictorian for this event. Read more about the 3^rd IUBAT Convocation at http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=215159

 

 

What do we do as volunteer faculty?

We try to connect prospective volunteers with people who have visited IUBAT previously. US nurse-midwife, Sally Sando taught at IUBAT in 2010. Answering a question from another nurse, she says, “I think that we provide so much for the students as role models and mentors. I taught 3rd year students so they were ready to take on their professional role.  I supported them in that, trying to find experiences for them, listening to them.  They felt a lot of frustration due to the discrepancy between what they had been taught about nursing standards and the reality in Bangladesh.  These are issues that we don’t have to deal with in the West, so they are sobering to think about. It is important to try to be realistic about what we can achieve. Everyone at IUBAT maintains very high standards in teaching the students. Although the students seem earnest and anxious to learn, it is difficult in light of the realities.  But - if we don't hold to the standards as best we can, then we don't give them a vision to aim for. I never doubted that I was doing something of benefit for the students.”

 

Collaborative action for nurse education

On December 10, IUBAT College of Nursing hosted a workshop to discuss the topic, “Collaboration for Nurse Education.” Those attending came from the public and private sectors in nurse education, health care services and policy. Participants analyzed issues that affect nurse education, including lack of qualified educators and poor educational resources, as well as negative social attitudes towards nursing. They identified joint actions such as sharing library materials, working together for quality assurance and collaborating to train nurse educators. They also proposed more dialogue between private and public sectors and urged action to inform the general public about the contribution of nurses. Finally, they considered holding a conference on nurse education in 2012. The workshop ended with agreement to create a “Nurse Education Network” that will carry forward this action plan.

 

Exploring Dhaka

What do IUBAT volunteers do when they are not teaching? Often they explore the local neighbourhood as well as downtown Dhaka and even further afield. In this photo Dan Hawkins, Arman Azad, Sam Simpson and Andrea Marrie stand outside Bangladesh’s famous National Assembly, designed by Louis Kahn. Another popular destination is Old Dhaka, described in this news feature http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110815-saving-dhakas-heritage