Embedding EDI into a National Virtual Simulation Program for Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology, Paramedicine, Sonography, and Respiratory Therapy Students
摘要
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is Canada’s largest post-secondary education network. CICan, in partnership with Simulation Canada, a Canadian not-for-profit organization that promotes and delivers simulation-based health professions education, and post-secondary institutions from across the country, developed and implemented the Virtu-WIL project, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) via its Innovative Work Integrated Learning Initiative (I-WIL). The Virtu-WIL project offers innovative work-integrated learning opportunities centered on virtual simulation to students in nursing, medical laboratory technology, paramedicine, sonography, and respiratory therapy programs. It also creates sustainable, collaborative partnerships between post-secondary institutions, employers, and technology suppliers. The project included the development of new virtual simulations in both English and French, which are openly and freely accessible to educators and students in Canada. The Virtu-WIL project incorporated four working groups composed primarily of post-secondary education faculty members, one of which was the Virtu-WIL Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group. In this chapter, we describe the work undertaken by the EDI Working Group to support and assist the faculty authoring the virtual simulations and to ensure that the content of the simulations was aligned with EDI principles. Moreover, this EDI Working Group had the opportunity to provide input into the project implementation and evaluation phases. We propose that other simulation-based educational projects, programs, and curricula may benefit from the inclusion of an EDI Working Group.