I'm writing from an airplane, on my way to Toronto to present at the CASN Informatics Stakeholders Symposium. This is a project I've been working on with the Informatics Task Force since this past summer. Basically, CASN is the body that determines and evaluates the national curriculum to be taught in undergraduate nursing programs.  Over the past few years, they've seen a need for graduates to improve their comfort level and expertise with sourcing and applying knowledge. Of course, this has increasingly come to mean databases, web content, and digitally available reference material, with a healthy skepticism to determine which information is trustworthy. So while workplaces may be excited to get we new graduates in because of our general comfort level with technology, they are finding that we aren't as sharp on information literacy as we should be.

Enter informatics competencies.

This task force I'm working with is developing resources for faculty to learn more about informatics, and specifically, how to incorporate these competencies into their teaching plans. The idea is that there will not be any one "informatics course", but rather that information literacy strategies will be reinforced throughout the full degree program.

I was invited to represent students on the task force because of my portfolio with CNSA. As the Informatics Officer, I've found that the opportunities to get involved with new and exciting projects just seem to fall into my lap these days. On my first teleconference with the task force, I was blown away by the expert knowledge by the other people on the team, and mind boggled when they nominated me to chair the team. Probably just because no one else wanted to do it! But they said it would be a good experience for me and they were right.

So tomorrow I am supposed to lead a small group of stakeholders, which includes a few other students from CNSA, in a discussion around some of the documents we've developed in partnership with our consultants.

Regrettably, it comes in the middle of the busiest week of my semester... Orientation for my preceptorship was today, and I have 2 finals and a presentation on Friday. Wish me luck.... :)

xoxo ugrn