Last Three Weeks in the lab

Wow! The quarter has flown by!!! I can hardly believe my first quarter of the PhD in Instructional Technology is almost behind me! I have decided to combine the last three weeks of lab into one post as they ran together and due to final exam weeks and student appointments my lab time was scattered about due to needed interruptions. I imagine this is not unlike what I need to expect with working with technology. There are always going to be interruptions. Life becomes and interesting challenge by keeping you on your toes and not letting you know what is next all the time. I will summarize my experiences for the past three weeks now.

            I had time to quickly learn the way to configure the smart board. I was instructed to configure it weekly. It was like playing a game of tick tack toe. Oh, an exciting thing I thought was that I can make it move with the touch of a finger on the board, you don’t have to necessarily use the fake markers and erasers that were provided. I am able to flip and scroll very quickly. I have also demonstrated our web based nursing charting program, nurse squared to a large number and variety of people. I completed many tours in the lab, including 2 entire classes of freshman pre-nursing students. It was fun. I am getting so excited to offer our lab to the students!
             I was able to have a private lunch meeting with the Dean of our college and share some of my ideas for technology use here at Ohio University and my desires for incorporating them into the lab. He seems to be very supportive of our program and the potential we offer to the college of a whole. Nursing is a growing field and with the advancements we are making, the possibilities are endless. The six live mannequins are fully operational. I was able to have the Laradal representative come into the lab and show me a few things that I was not aware of with them. We are also getting the new 3G Sim man. He is unique. I hope to get to know him throughout next quarter.
            Another fun thing I got to do was assist (in a small way) with migrating to Microsoft exchange. I had done this before but this time we added it to the favorite bars and assisted people with finding out how to add Microsoft exchange to the Iphone. There are many potential uses for the Iphone.
            I assisted a college with setting up how to access blackboard on her Iphone. She can now access her courses online by logging into the system on her mobile device. I have the ability to input grades through my mobile device and now so does she. We can both now respond to student emails in a very fast fashion as the phone is set to make a noise when the emails is received.
            I held a few sessions of informal training on our nurse squared program. We had the two male nurse designers of the program come and speak with us and offer a formal training session to available staff and for those who could not make it to the training I am trying to educate them on its use. I have had many questions from inside the school of nursing as well as from visiting parents, nurses and dignitaries that have visited.  It is a different experience knowing something about the technology we use except for what I would have to know to get things done. Technology is a lot like nursing: you can get by with working the program or completing an assessment on a patient but until you actually understand what the program is for and who and why it was created just as you need to have the understanding of what and why things are occurring in the body to do the best that you possibly can.
            The computers in my lab are very clean and are disinfected daily after the end of the usage. I feel that especially in a nursing lab we need to keep it as clean as possible. Oh, I almost forgot I had to move a computer to a different station and get it set up all by myselfJ. Someone had needed a computer and the computer gurus from our college had stolen one of mineL. I came in and was getting prepared to show the lab and realized I was missing a computer. They had tried to be slick and left the monitor for me but thankfully I noticed prior to the group getting there for their tour. I pulled one from a different mannequin that I was not planning on using at that time.
            Overall, I have enjoyed this lab experience and am starting to feel less of a nurse out of the water and more of a nurse bobbing in the water with head out! I am learning so much. I am looking forward to another quarter of excitement… next year.

Week 5 in the lab

Week 5 in the lab I asked for an allowance of time to work in the Nursing Simulation Lab in Grover. My instructors were gracious enough to allow me to do so. This was a challenge that would continue for several more weeks. There were mannequin parts in boxes, stashes of supplies hidden everywhere that needed addressed and most excitedly a SMART board that needed to be put together.  I was able to make arrangements with the computer guys in Grover to assist with the SNART board installation.

Our first task was to get it out of the box. Don’t laugh; it was packed in their tight! We were able to get it out. It was interesting to note that no one looked at the directions once we got it out of the box. There were three to four of us working at all times on this. It was a sight to see, or at least some people thought it was as there was a continuously growing crowd hanging out across the walk way peering in our window as we worked.  We figured out how to run the cords and get the plastic parts of the device installed. I didn’t get to help with the power toolsL. However, once the device was put up on the wall and the ceiling I was able to assist with hooking the cords all up. We then had to figure out how to get the computer and the smart boards running off of the same machine, it was not happening. We had to install another computer within the casing of the first one. We then had to set the screens on one and two so that there would be a reflection of the information to get the SMART board working correctly. I then loaded the software for the smart board and was able to turn it on for the first time.

There were a few extra parts (mostly screws, and a few nuts and bolts) remaining. I was a little nervous about that but was assured that there was nothing to worry about. However, problems did not escape us. We were not able to get het screen reflecting on the board as large as the board. We continue to have about a two inch border that remains white on the board. On a positive note, we are seeing the entire computer screen at one time. We completed the touch test and followed the multiple bullet points on the screen to be sure it worked correctly and I received instructions that I should calibrate the SMART board every week. This was a great lab day. I feel like I got a lot accomplished and really learned a lot about the SMART board. I am looking forward to next week to gain a n understanding of how it works and what all the capabilities are.

My messy lab!                                                                             

Me trying to read the directiond and fix our border problem.

                                                                                     

Day 4 in the lab

My 4^th day in the lab was a little less challenging. I went with the graduate student to set up printers. That was a very quick experience due to they were already set up when we arrived. Apparently, there was a glitch in the system prior to us arriving but when we printed a test page it miraculously printed. I am not at all saying that the graduate student wasn’t doing something right; I am saying that I am learning that technology does often have a mind of its own.

            The swiffer was my little helper today. I cleaned the keyboards in the second computer room today. I also had the paper towels out and was trying to remove built up yucky germs off of the computer keys. I also cleaned the handles on some of the chairs. By the end of lab, I felt like I needed debugged as well (smiling). I have heard people say “once a nurse, always a nurse” and I am sure that is very true.

My final excitement of the day involved showing a student how to print from the computer lab. She wanted a color copy as well as some black and white copies. I walked her through the steps and she was able to complete her tasks.

I am attaching a picture I took at another facility when I was on a tour. Perhaps OU could consider developing a station similar to this for our labs. It is flu season and we do not want to spread germs.

Day 3 in the Lab

 Wow! What a long day!!!!

    Today seemed to go on forever. The lab was slow. I think it is a little of the mid-quarter blues sneaking up on me. The deadlines for assignments are approaching and my students are also getting stressed out and needing extra time. Yesterday, the movers came to Grover to help me get all of my nursing lab supplies that we had stored upstairs into the lab. I came in early today to unpack and sort through boxes prior to coming here. I need to change my mindset!

    My excitement today involved assisting 2 grad students with getting their computers to print. I had to go to the website of the home computer and obtain the address for the printer and the host name. I then had to go into the computer and remove the existing printer that did not work. I went through the steps multiple times to add the computer and it would not work. Scott was sitting beside me working on the second computer and it worked great. We tried together many times and it would not work. The students agreed that they would not need both printing that if one would work then that would be all right.

   Another task of the day involved assisting another student in the lab with creating tables on a document. She wasn't sure what to do after she opened it. I was glad to be able to show her something. I really was wondering if I knew more than anyone else. My nursing background has limited me from the technology experiences beyond what I was required to do for my employers. I am now learning from assisting others and surprising myself about what I do actually know. I have learned a lot from my second course this quarter EDCT 501. I hope to continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

    One final task for today as assisting my friend with her adobe connect. I showed her how to check black board for her browser check. We then found that her adobe had become disabled. We then enabled it and through much trial and error were able to get it to work. Thankfully, Scott happened to be here when we started having headphone issues. It seems that my headphones work but only if I use the headphones without the attached microphones. My computer has a built in microphone and that is how I am working.

  Overall, today was productive. I am learning and absorbing more than I thought I would. I am looking forward to more.... next week.  

Day 2 in the lab

 

Well grad school is starting to get the better of me. I forgot to make my post last week after lab so I am doing it now prior to my third lab. Week 2 was a little smoother. I wasn't as nervous. I started my day with downloading software on a grad student’s computer. The task itself wasn't too overly challenging but after getting into the room and finding they had other issues for me to resolve really made me think about all the times I grabbed our computer guy over in Grover to help with one thing and ended up asking for way more. I sure do appreciate him (Mark- if you are viewing this- it is you). Anyway, I was able to assist with installing a printer. It wasn't like when you install a printer at home where you just plug it in and run a cd. I had to search on the internet for the correct model of printer and get the number to initiate the printer. I then printed a test page. It felt like when I had just finished my first 5k run. Although, I stumbled through it at times, I was proud I was able to finish it and in this case the grad student was happy and able to get back to work.

     My entire day wasn't so blessed. I was asked to assist the grad student that was working to go offer help to an instructor who was having computer difficulties. We were unable to get the correct password to open her system. Scott had a meeting and since he is the brains in the lab, we had to wait to finish the task. When all was said and done, the issue was resolved.

    I was hungry so imagine my relief when Scott asked me to go on a fishing trip for him. I was to go to Baker and search for an instructor or his student who needed to borrow a computer for a coaching program. I went (drove because I still cannot handle the walk from Grover to McCrackin) to baker.  I said a little prayer, as I do before all of my fishing trips, and was relieved that I didn’t fish too long without getting a glimpse of some coach type people sitting at a table. I went over to them and started asking; sure enough they were coaching students. They didn’t know the student I was looking for so I still needed to look around. Eventually, I was able to find the student who needed the computer. I had time to grab a quick bite to eat while I was there as well.

    The remainder of my day involved cleaning. I was just making sure the monitors were clean. I really didn't have anything to kill the germs that must be larking on the computer key boards and mouses'. Ugh, as a nurse I need to wash my hands to feel safe and I was watching students repeatedly tough their face, pens, keyboards over and over. I just wanted to scream, GERMS really big but decided against it. I have decided to just do my part in keeping the germs down and hopefully prevent someone from getting ill this flu season. I am looking forward to my next five hours and wondering what adventures I may get in.

Day 1 in the Lab

                                                              Nurse Out of the Water        

Day 1 in the lab was a little challenging with the experience being new. It reminded me of the very first day I went to a new hospital to work when I was an agency nurse. I had gone through an orientation phase in my mind but had no idea what the reality of the situation would be until I got there. Due to an extremely heavy schedule this quarter with working 12 credit hours at Ohio University Athens,  helping out this quarter at Ohio University Chillicothe, having and being a student myself with 11 credit hours, and having a family I feel very privileged to have found 5 hours per week that I could commit to this lab experience. 
     My computer experience is somewhat limited. Although I use a computer on a daily basis I am limited to my comfort zones. Over the past few weeks my techno world has exploded. Today, in the lab I was able to install software- I mean without reading the step by step directions that I have previously done at home. I loaded the CD, had to unfreeze and freeze the computer back when I was finished- which I have never had to do at home. I was then able to perfect my skills as we had a list with multiple computers to load. I was grateful for the opportunity.
     Another adventure today lead me to the bottom of the sea- the basement. It was a little scary and brought me back to my childhood of going to my grandmother’s basement with her, but only when my grandpa wasn't around to disapprove. The musty aroma was almost breath taking at first. I had to go on a deep sea dive to try to locate a monitor and computer for a student worker. I was taken aback by all of the used equipment. I guess I assumed we always got new as opposed to recycled equipment. We were able to find the monitor and retrieved the needed key board, mouse and cords however; the basement was void of any computer towers that met the needs of this student. A new one would need to be ordered. 
    Throughout the day, I was joined by others of my classmates who were also getting in their lab hours. Between us and the GA we were almost stepping on each other as we cleaned the monitors and tables. I cleaned the microphones and used the Swiffer. I almost felt ill with this task, not that it was below me by any means but because I know how much my own home needs this kind of a cleaning. I understand from a healthcare perspective the importance of cleanliness but also from a technologic view point of the dust interfering with the equipment. 
    Overall, I feel my day was well spent. I was really nervous about the adventure I was going to undertake for the day but found it to be a very useful and productive day. There have been changes made to the schedule for next week so there will not be so many of us fish swimming in the sea of knowledge at the same time or walking around the computer lab. I am happy with my decision to jump in feet first and not look back. I am looking forward to next week’s adventure as I hope you are.