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Development of competence in the municipalities
Background
Since the autumn
2001 the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine (NST) has had, as an important area
of commitment, the development of competence by offering the use of ICT to
employees working within the subject areas such as autism, dementia, disability
and ageing. The target group consists of the employees in the health- and social
sector where the interdisciplinary competence is especially important in the
follow-up treatment. This sector is characterized by a shortage of qualified
personnel.
The development
of competence involves the development of made-to-measure ICT-based health
related courses in close cooperation with different areas of expertise. NST's
partners are the municipalities, the colleges and universities, and different
centres of expertise; among others the Autism Unit in
The
development of competence in the municipalities
Employees
working in the welfare sector and in the health- and social sector with people
with different disabilities, ageing and dementia face challenges in a complex
and often life-long follow-up treatment. Many health workers are supposed to
cooperate; both interdisciplinary cooperation in the municipalities and between
the municipalities and the different sectors. This depends on the necessary
competence of the employees to meet the needs of the patients/users. Tuition in
the daily work is needed, and the possibility for the competence training
through participation in courses and education will be very important. Long
distances and a limited municipal economy can complicate this. How can the use
of ICT contribute to the development of competence?
Object
The aim is to
ensure a complete and continuous service offered to the patients/users. The use
of ICT in the development of competence in the municipal health- and social
sector can contribute to the recruitment of personnel. The improvement of
competence in the work place can among other things contribute to avoid
professional isolation, insecurity and exhaustion at work.
Aim
Offer an
improved service to the patients/users and their
relatives.
Establish
courses by the use of ICT; meaning educational and tuitional offers and the
establishment of professional networks.
Use the work
place as an arena of learning by using ICT to flexible
learning.
Build up the
professional competence in the caring sector and the health- and social
sector.
Motivate the
employees in the municipalities to use new technology by giving them the
knowledge of mastering this new technology.
Content
In order to meet
the needs of the development of competence, the courses will be made-to-measure.
A survey beforehand is necessary to be able to accommodate individual needs. In
cooperation with the centres of competence, colleges and universities, the
courses are being developed and the choice of technology is being adapted. For
the carrying out of the tuition and the establishment of professional network,
it is mainly videoconferencing that is being used. For the carrying out of
courses and education it is often flexible forms of learning which involves the
use of different tools and methods that are being used; videoconferencing,
traditional class-room tuition and Internet technology. To be able to use the
ICT-based courses, knowledge of organisational accommodation in the
municipalities, and training of the different tools is necessary. Motivational
work consists also in making visible the possibilities of the technology and in
a change of attitude by using the tools in the daily work.
Results
Different
distant learning courses are developed and available for the employees in the
municipalities:
Tuition offered to
employees in the caring work regarding autism by use of videoconferencing is
established in several municipalities. NST's experiences and models for
organisation and the carrying out of tuition in the follow-up treatment can be
transferred also to other municipalities.
Education
offered via videoconferencing to
employees in the caring work regarding autism and ageing is established as a
permanent offer and is announced in the National catalogue for distant education
which is being published by NST every spring and autumn. For more information,
go to: www.undervisningskatalogen.no
Training
courses in the use of
videoconferencing has been given employees in the follow-up treatment in the
municipalities and employees in centres of competence and colleges. If you want
more information about a training course in the use of videoconferencing,
contact NST.
Online education is being
developed and carried out
The online
course "Learn dementia with broadband" is finished and is now being carried out
for 21 health workers in three municipalities in the south-eastern part of
Other online
learning programmes within the area of disability, ageing and dementia are now
under development. These programmes are the following:
·
Online course: "Disability
with ageing. Movement in a lifetime perspective"
·
Online course: "Limitations
in rights and the use of force towards people with
dementia"
·
Online course: "People with
polio"
·
Professional network for
dementia in the Nordic countries.
·
Professional network for
autism.
The different
online learning programmes will be presented in the learning portal when they
are finished. Visit the following web-address: www.helseutdanning.no
For more
information, contact project leader
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