March 28, 2014

While the demand for licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) continues to rise, so too does the need for those entering the field to receive classroom instruction that prepares them to succeed in the increasingly high-tech healthcare facilities of the 21st century.

That means adding technology to the classroom, and that is just what the LVN Program at Amarillo College intends to do—through a pilot program given traction by a $40,000 grant from High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation.

The LVN Program proactively sought the grant specifically for the purchase of 50 iPad Air tablet computers which will be loaned to LVN students throughout the 2014-2015 school year. The Program commonly enrolls between 40 and 50 students a year.

Faculty are already focusing on how best to utilize the iPads for the enhancement of the LVN classroom experience, from determining which apps will best serve their students to the creation of simulated electronic medical records, which are fast replacing traditional documentation systems in the real world.

“We are so thankful to High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation for their support of our program and for partnering with us in this endeavor,” said LaVon Barrett, director of AC’s LVN Program. “They’ve been such a great advocate of our Program.

“Our students will use this technology to access the College’s learning management system (Blackboard), which is a huge advantage in the classroom,” Barrett said. “They can also view all sorts of demonstration videos, access skill-mastery tutorials, and utilize cutting-edge apps. We’re very excited about the possibilities.”

Barrett said LVN students will even be able to make and critique their own videos through a movie-making app as they strive to master certain skills. But the iPads will not be utilized by students at clinical sites, she said, a rule aimed at ensuring patient confidentiality.

The pilot program has been dubbed “Smart Teaching Through iPads” and will be assessed upon completion to determine if LVN students in future years should be required to provide their own iPad technology. Should that become a requirement, Barrett says the grant-acquired iPads will be maintained to serve as potential loaners for students who demonstrate financial need or for someone whose own tablet is rendered inoperable.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, citing the aging baby-boom population, has projected a 25-percent rise in the employment of LVNs from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations.

For more information about the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program at Amarillo College, call (806) 371-5000 or visit www.actx.edu/nursing.