UC College of Nursing Receives National Innovation Award

CINCINNATI—A cutting-edge University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Nursing program has received national recognition for innovation in education from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). 

The association selected the college’s iPad initiative, iCoN, as a 2015 winner of their Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award. The purpose of the annual award is to recognize the outstanding work of AACN member schools to re-envision traditional models for nursing education and lead programmatic change. 

The iCoN initiative is a multi-year undertaking by College of Nursing faculty members, instructional designers, information technology staff and students to transform the delivery of nursing education in the classroom, simulation and clinical settings through the use of iPads. The initiative, started in 2011, included: faculty and staff development through multiple iPad Institutes; a two-day immersive iPad training program followed by individual workshops; classroom and simulation space upgrades to incorporate iPad-related devices and technologies, such as Apple TVs, AirWatch and iPad stands; and student roll-out of iPads beginning in the fall of 2013, when all incoming Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students were required to purchase an iPad. 

The number of students using iPads has grown each year, and now includes some Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) students. Every entry-level course was rebuilt in iBook format which allows videos, links and interactive content to be included directly in an iTunes course. E-textbooks are recommended, and a standard suite of apps has been created to provide the opportunity for collaboration and the ability for new types of assignments, such as video presentations, use of social media and curation of online content. 

"At the UC College of Nursing, we absolutely won’t accept the status quo for teaching—you’re not going to find giant lecture halls with four-hour lectures,” said Dean Greer Glazer, PhD. "We’re implementing innovative and active learning strategies proven to engage students. Basically, we’re working to be an icon for what innovative nursing education looks like and to graduate the best nurses in the country.”