Robot Faculty Extender Program Implications for Global Clinical Education

Abstract

(41st Biennial Convention) Experienced nursing faculty are in short supply worldwide and although distance learning technologies clearnly enable aging faculty from around the globe to deliver high quality content, teaching, service and research obligations of the university-based faculty member have not been explored. Robots have been used successfully in other non-teaching health care roles globally such as physician consultants. In this study a "robot" is an aritificial, mobile, interactive teleprsence (a virtual presence accomplished by electronic transmission). The purpose of this pilot research study was to explore application of the robot faculty extender program (RFEP)�to roles beyond but including the role of the teacher. Specifically, this project examined the usefulness, acceptability and impact of the RFEP�to�the role of course coordinator in one tenured faculty member living over 200 miles from the employing university and responsible for a traditional clinical course. An embedded, single case design was used to examine individual student, clinical faculty and course coordinator responses to the remote presence robot during a required simulated clinical experience of a home visit to a geriatric patient. Sources of evidence included participant observation (journal of course coordinator), surveys from students and clinical faculty, and data�from the robot itself( technical problems, amoutn of time in use). Results and implications for global nursing education, research collaboration and practice will be discussed.