Distance nursing education in Micronesia - Pacific Health Dialog

P R c r r r c H e R l r H D r n l o c Y o t T . N o . 2 . 2000 Drsrnrucr Eoucnloru iru rtr P,qcrruc

j u r i s d i c t i o n s , t h e w o r k w e e k h a s b e e n s h o r t e n e d a n d th e i r s a l a r y r e d u c e d . T h u s , th e i r m o t i v a t i o n t o p u r s u e e d u c a - t i o n a l g o a l s h a s b e e n a f f e c t e d . In a d d i t i o n , t h e P E A C E S A T s a t e l l i t e h a s n o t b e e n o p e r a t i o n a l m u c h o f t h e ti m e th i s fa l l , s o c l a s s e s h a v e b e e n ta p e d a n d s e n t t o t h e i s l a n d s , b u t c o m m u n i c a t i o n s h a s b e e n d i f f i c u l t .

Conclusion

S o m e o f t h e l e s s o n s le a r n e d fr o m t h e S P I N F p r o j e c t e x p e f l e n c e :

. Courses n e e d to b e t a u g h t o v e r tw o s e m e s t e r s . . C o u r s e s , m o d u l e s , a n d in f o r m a t i o n m u s t b e r e l e v a n t t o

t h e i r w o r l < s i t e d u r i n g t h i s ti m e o f d o w n s i z r n g . . Multiple w a y s o f p r o v i d i n g i n f o r m a t i o n s h o u l d b e a v a i l -

a b l e i n a d d i t i o n to s a t e l l i t e : e . 9 . , p a p e r , v i d e o a n d e v e n t u a l l y C D - R O M a n d I n t e r n e t .

. Case s t u d i e s a n d re v i e w d i s c u s s i o n n e e d t o b e a v a i l a b l e .

. E m a i l d i s c u s s i o n s a n d c o n s u l t a t i o n s s h o u l d i n c r e a s e . . Differentways o f e v a l u a t i n g s t u d e n t s n e e d s t o b e d e v e l -

o p e o .

. Lengthy, f r e q u e n t e x a m i n a t i o n s a r e o v e r w h e l m i n g t o t h e s t u d e n t s i n t h e r e q i o n .

L a s t b u t n o t l e a s t , a p r o g r a m in f r a s t r u c t u r e t o s u p p o r t a c a d e m i c a n d c o n t i n u i n g e d u c a t i o n i n t h e P a c i f i c n e e d s t o b e s o l i d i f i e d . C h a n g i n g o f f i c i a l s i n g o v e r n m e n t , h e a l t h a n d e d u c a t i o n a s w e l l a s t h e m u l t i p l e d e m a n d s - b o t h p e r s o n a l a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l - o n t h e s t u d e n t s e q u a l f r a g i l e p r o g r a m s i n t h e P a c i f i c . P a r t n e r s h i p s a n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n a r e th e k e y to t h e f u t u r e o f e d u c a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s i n t h e P a c i f i c . C a n w e j o i n h a n d s t o m a l < e t h e f u t u r e a r e a l i t y ?

References

A v a i l a b l e f r o m t h e a u t h o r o n r e o u e s t .

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we should be careful to get out of experience only the wisdom that is in it - and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on the stove-lid. She wilt never sit down on a hot stove-lid again - and that is well; but also she will never

sit down on a cold one anymore.

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

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