Course Craft

Training healthcare teams to assess and manage pain in elderly patients with dementia is uniquely challenging. These residents often struggle to communicate discomfort, leaving caregivers to rely on non-verbal cues and behavioural changes to recognize distress. Without a structured approach, pain can go unrecognized or misattributed, leading to unnecessary suffering and potentially escalating behaviours. To address this, I developed a five-day, AODA-compliant training program designed for mixed-level learners (novice nursing students and experienced practitioners). The curriculum integrates RNAO Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) on Pain Assessment and Management , the PAINAD (Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia) tool , and leading instructional design frameworks like  CSAM (Context, Scaffolding, Assessment, Motivation) , TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) , and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework . What Makes This Program Different? Accessibility First: The...

Healthcare education faces a dual challenge when preparing teams to work with elderly patients who have dementia: the need for clinically rigorous content and universally accessible, engaging instruction . Patients with advanced dementia often cannot communicate their pain verbally, so caregivers must rely on subtle cues and behavioural changes to identify distress. Without structured training, these signs can be missed or misinterpreted, leading to unnecessary suffering and behavioural escalations. To address this gap, a five-day, AODA-compliant training program was developed for mixed-level learners , including novice nursing students and experienced practitioners working in Ontario long-term care (LTC) settings. The program integrates the RNAO Pain Assessment and Management Best Practice Guideline (BPG) , the PAINAD (Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia) tool , and instructional approaches informed by Rob Power’s research on accessible instructional design and the CSAM framework ...

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) agents into various professional spheres necessitates a critical examination of their role in higher education. As nursing education strives to prepare future clinicians for an increasingly technologically sophisticated healthcare landscape, understanding students' self-efficacy with AI tools becomes paramount. A forthcoming study by Power (in review), "Evaluating Graduate Education Students’ Self-Efficacy with the Use of Artificial Intelligence Agents: A Case Study," offers invaluable insights into this evolving relationship, providing a framework for fostering confidence and competence with AI among nursing students. The Self-Efficacy Imperative: Power's Case Study on AI in Education Power's (in review) case study investigated graduate education students' self-efficacy regarding the use of AI agents, specifically focusing on large language models like ChatGPT, for academic writing tasks. The methodology i...

In an era where technology profoundly shapes our cognitive landscapes, understanding its impact on brain function offers invaluable insights for professional development. A foundational study by Wu, Cheng, Feng, D'Angelo, Alain, and Spence (2012) illuminated the neuroplastic changes induced by playing first-person shooter (FPS) video games, particularly in enhancing spatial selective attention. This research, initially exploring the cognitive benefits of gaming, holds profound implications when applied to the rigorous and dynamic field of nursing education, suggesting innovative approaches to cultivate critical cognitive skills in future healthcare professionals. The Neuroplasticity of Attention: A Gamer's Advantage Wu et al. (2012) conducted an experiment demonstrating a direct causal link between playing FPS games and neuroplastic change. Through the measurement of event-related potentials (ERPs) in participants before and after just 10 hours of gameplay, the researchers obse...

The rapid ascent of digital learning, significantly accelerated by recent global events, has irrevocably reshaped educational landscapes. While offering unprecedented flexibility and access, this paradigm shift presents both opportunities and profound challenges for student mental health and well-being. As educators, particularly those operating at the graduate level, it is incumbent upon us to critically examine how digital pedagogy intersects with mental health, and crucially, how principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) must guide our approaches to create truly supportive and effective learning environments. The Double-Edged Sword of Digital Learning and Mental Health Digital learning, in its various forms, has democratized access to education, allowing individuals from diverse geographical locations and life circumstances to pursue academic aspirations (Fedynich, 2013, as cited in OJDLA, n.d.). This inherent flexibility can alleviate stressors associated with physical a...