The three Chinese partner higher education institutions (HEIs) of GeNEdu; Beihua University (BH), Guangdong Medical University (GDMU), and Guangzhou Health Science College (GHSC) have been developing their new, competence-based courses to educate competent gerontological nurses who can address the healthcare needs of older people in the ageing Chinese society. In this phase of the project, the use of the Living Labs is being prepared. The Living Lab concept is part of the development of gerontological nursing modules in which digital technologies and multi-disciplinary innovations are integrated.
In our previous blog post, we described the successful online training for teachers on how to use learning labs to educate gerontological nurses. The next steps of the GeNEdu project after the workshop in October 2021 focused on the preparations and activities leading to the implementation of the Living Labs in the spring of 2022.
From the middle of January, the real work started: how the use of technology in professional practice and digital technological solutions for gerontological nursing could fit into the performance of the Living Labs. In monthly structured online meetings, the three Chinese HEIs and European partners prepared step by step plans on how teachers, students, professional nurses, and local elderly could be involved in the trials and how the daily programme for participants could be organized fitting to the different situations of the universities. Diverse options for organizing the trial days were discussed together, examples of situational practices were shared, and the required deliverables, such as number of participants and video recordings, were checked.
However, the global Covid situation hung as a dark cloud over all schedules, plans, and deadlines. In a brief time, it showed that huge adjustments had to done to make set goals of the project achievable for the universities. Due to no travel options and different restrictions in the three geographical areas in China, project partners agreed that the three universities would draw up their own timeline for the trials. This decision gave space for a new view of reality for facing changes and challenges in healthcare education in the current global situation.
From then on, scenarios for the trials were discussed in the project team making use of earlier experiences in the project. For example, online support instead of face-to-face coaching and documentation organized on the now well-known platforms Moodle and Panopto. Furthermore, assessment templates were designed, instructions for how to implement the trials were given, and practical agreements for the storage of videos for the project were made. The input gave a new impetus to making the trials in China successful. Teachers of the HEI’s had already mastered the technology and concrete plans were presented, showing commitment to reach the aims of the project.
At the end of May, GMDU and GHSC presented their trial programme in which the professional field, stakeholders, teachers, and students took part. The teachers from Hanze and Jamk attended online and contributed by supplying feedback on the process and content of the performance. The trials in Beihua were postponed due to the restrictions of the Covid situation.
Each university had made a programme in which students presented case studies in various categories using supportive technology within the infrastructure of the Lab. In an organized structure, students performed their patient cases which were filmed by another students. Then the performing student asked feedback from their client followed by peer-assessment and teacher assessment by a group of teachers. Finally, the European experts gave comments on the overall performance and suggestions for further development of the education.
Both trial weeks presented deep engagement and motivation of all attendees in the work done so far by the partners. It showed that a base has been laid to change the future education of gerontological nursing. On 1-3 November, the project is taking one more step towards finalization with a Review workshop which will demonstrate the success and learnt lessons from “Developing Gerontological Nursing Education in China through Multidisciplinary Innovations.”
