del100

Hi- Ditto pp re PP's resources. (this is kind of late, I've never visited this board before). Also, Contraceptive Technology by Robert Hatcher is sort of the bible of contraception for many people. A new edition just came out. He also writes a book called Managing Contraception, which is a pocket sized one. They are geared toward providers but written in very clear & easy to understand ways. Also, check out the WHO's medical eligibility criteria document, it provides a lot of guidelines for different contraindications and use in various populations. http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/mec/ As far as STD's go, you can read a lot of info on the CDC's website as well as ASHA (american social health association). Not sure if you're going to be dealing w/ colpo's and whatnot, but the ASCCP's website has all of those updated rec's. (again, provider driven but a good resource) Hope you enjoy your volunteer work!

North Carolina. Actually, the MSN part of that requirement is a little vague in the document and from people I've talked to- the document does say BSN or MSN but does not specify b/w ADN & BSN programs- I think some people are interpreting it differently & I'm not totally sure what the correct response would be, but if I were someone who really wanted to teach nursing, I would go with an MSN just to be safe.

I'd check your state board of nursing regulations- ours has new requirements for nurse educators by 2010- they must have an MSN I believe AND one of the following: 1. 9 credit hours in education principles, or 2. 45 contact hours specific to nursing education, or 3. be a certified nurse educator

Second Life is a "virtual world" somewhat like the game The Sims, I think, although I've never used the Sims. The Sims is a game with goals, however, and Second Life's purpose is not to be a game, but a virtual world and/or meeting place. From what I have read, many people around the country are starting to experiment in using it for simulated educational experiences, and although I'm a total beginner at it, some thoughts I had for use were things like simulating a home visit for students to practice certain skills, or for patient education, etc. You can also hold "virtual meetings" with coworkers or students. Basically, you can sign up for an "avatar" (your 3D character) and you get a name for your avatar for free (http://www.secondlife.com). You can interact with other people on there as well and I think it has some very interesting capabilities, although it is by no means easy to use (in my opinion, anyway, and I feel I'm pretty good w/ the computer). Some universities lease "virtual islands" in which you can build/create these scenarios. I am going to get some training from our faculty training dept next week... I don't know a whole lot else but this website has an interesting document: http://facstaff.elon.edu/mconklin/pubs/glshandout.pdf and also http://www.simteach.com It will be interesting to see if it lasts, I suppose.

I have been reading a bit online about using Second Life and a coworker is starting to use it, so I thought I'd explore it a little this semester and see if I could incorporate it in the future. I teach mostly community health, so "simulations" in the lab sense are not necessarily appropriate. I thought this might be a fun/different way to simulate different experiences. However, I signed up and started the orientation, and although I consider myself to be pretty proficient with computers and exploring new programs, I am completely lost on this one. Anyone have any tips? I'm hoping that my school will offer a workshop, apparently they had one a few weeks ago but none that are planned for the future. Thanks!

Hello! I am new to this site and relatively new to teaching undergraduates in a BSN program. I teach Growth & Development to sophomores in a relatively large class (50-75) with fixed seats/tables and am looking for ideas for interactive activities that take perhaps 30 minutes (in order to cram alllll the other info in there as well!). My weakness is the pediatric stages- infancy/toddler, early childhood & middle childhood, as I am much more comfortable with adolescents & adults... Anyone have any tried & true (and maybe even fun?) interactive ideas? Thanks!