College program will help nurses speak the language Diaphoretic, cyanotic, tachycardia: terms that most English speakers do not sprinkle through their everyday conversations, regardless of their language skills.
So, imagine someone for whom English is not their first language attempting to learn these terms common to Canadian nurses.
Qualified foreign nurses who want to practise in Canada might possess the required clinical skills, but fall short on occupational English proficiency. Come September, they’ll be able to logon to Lethbridge College to upgrade their skills in the language of nursing, allowing them to pass accreditation exams.
Nursing, like many technical occupations, comes with its own set of terms, and a communication style different from other professions. Dealing with patients, reading prescriptions and following procedures all require an understanding of nuance.
“Our target market consists of internationally educated nurses preparing for certification exams,” says Philip Harttrup, director of Lethbridge College’s English Language Centre (ELC) who pioneered the online process. “However, we’d eventually like to see it expanded to nursing students who might be struggling with their courses because of the language barrier.”
The ELC secured a grant of $306,000 from Alberta Employment and Immigration to create four online components: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Two other courses are being added by NorQuest College in Edmonton, which developed the classroom program.
The Lethbridge College initiative comes at a prime time considering the looming nursing shortage; it was a calculation Harttrup built into his response to the government’s request for proposals. “Canada benefits through improved healthcare,” says Harttrup. “The end result will enhance the integration of these nursing students into our society, better preparing them to advance in their field and in their careers.”
Besides international students, says Harttrup, the program could assist new Canadians, including those now in high school. English as a Second Language programs normally do not include occupational components. “We’re aware there are many immigrant students in high schools whose mother tongue is not English and who could benefit from this type of learning,” he says.
The college has many international students on campus, and enrolment is rising in the types of professions requiring technical and vocational education and training. Several of these programs would attract more foreign language students if they offered additional language training, while the students taking them would achieve job readiness much more quickly by learning the language specific to the profession.
So, imagine someone for whom English is not their first language attempting to learn these terms common to Canadian nurses.
Qualified foreign nurses who want to practise in Canada might possess the required clinical skills, but fall short on occupational English proficiency. Come September, they’ll be able to logon to Lethbridge College to upgrade their skills in the language of nursing, allowing them to pass accreditation exams.
Nursing, like many technical occupations, comes with its own set of terms, and a communication style different from other professions. Dealing with patients, reading prescriptions and following procedures all require an understanding of nuance.
“Our target market consists of internationally educated nurses preparing for certification exams,” says Philip Harttrup, director of Lethbridge College’s English Language Centre (ELC) who pioneered the online process. “However, we’d eventually like to see it expanded to nursing students who might be struggling with their courses because of the language barrier.”
The ELC secured a grant of $306,000 from Alberta Employment and Immigration to create four online components: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Two other courses are being added by NorQuest College in Edmonton, which developed the classroom program.
The Lethbridge College initiative comes at a prime time considering the looming nursing shortage; it was a calculation Harttrup built into his response to the government’s request for proposals. “Canada benefits through improved healthcare,” says Harttrup. “The end result will enhance the integration of these nursing students into our society, better preparing them to advance in their field and in their careers.”
Besides international students, says Harttrup, the program could assist new Canadians, including those now in high school. English as a Second Language programs normally do not include occupational components. “We’re aware there are many immigrant students in high schools whose mother tongue is not English and who could benefit from this type of learning,” he says.
The college has many international students on campus, and enrolment is rising in the types of professions requiring technical and vocational education and training. Several of these programs would attract more foreign language students if they offered additional language training, while the students taking them would achieve job readiness much more quickly by learning the language specific to the profession.
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