South Korean University Extends Support for Nursing Education in Laos

Source: Vientiane Times

The nursing education and learning environment in Laos have been upgraded, thanks to continued support from Inje University in the Republic of Korea, under Inje University’s Leading University Project for International Cooperation (LUPIC). Through LUPIC support, the Nursing Skills Lab has been remodeled at the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Health Sciences (UHS) in Laos, and the ceremony to celebrate its completion ceremony was led recently by Project Manager Jina Oh.

The ceremony was attended by Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Laos, Mr. Byeong Seok Yoo, Vice President of Inje University’s Medical & Pharmaceutical Affairs, Dr. Byoung Doo Rhee, Dean of Inje University’s College of Nursing, Prof Jeong Yee Bae, President of UHS, Dr. Bounthom Samountry, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, Mr. Souksavanh Phanpaseuth, and other officials.

The newly opened Nursing Skills Lab has expanded its practice space by remodeling two classrooms within UHS’s Donkoi Campus and is equipped with eight beds, a nurse station, a scrub station, and a debriefing room, creating the most advanced environment of its kind in Laos. The lab also has high-fidelity manikins, wound care models, pulse/blood pressure assessment simulators, and diverse injection trainers which will be used by not only nursing students but also medical, pharmaceutical, and allied health students.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dean Souksavanh Phanpaseuth said “The Nursing Skills Lab will help support the teaching of fundamental nursing and nursing core skills. Nursing skills training is crucial for the actual learning of students to gain expertise before going to work in hospitals.”

“On behalf of the University of Health Sciences, heartfelt gratitude is due to the Korean government and Inje University’s LUPIC team for their support in enhancing the quality of nursing education and the competence of nurses in Laos,” Dr. Bounthom said.

Mr. Byeong Seok Yoo said “The need for skilled nursing staff, who are responsible for the wellbeing of the public on the front line, is expected to continue to grow going forward. We envisage that this project will significantly contribute to the nurturing of high-quality nursing personnel and the improvement of healthcare in Laos.”

Dean Jeong Yee Bae said “Nursing requires the ability to effectively solve problems in various real-life situations”, adding that he hoped the newly established Nursing Skills Lab would provide an opportunity to hone core nursing skills.

To enhance the capabilities of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences and improve the current nursing curriculum, the 4th LAIN-LUPIC workshop was conducted from February 6-8 and attended by over 30 officials from the UHS nursing faculty and five professors from Inje University.

Following on-site lectures on “Writing Course and Lesson Outcomes” and “MCQ Development” by Dr. Byoung Doo Rhee, intensive group activities were conducted with the aim of improving the ability to specify and evaluate comprehensive thinking and performance skills required in the rapidly developing medical and educational environment and in clinical settings.

Additionally, feedback was given on the introduction of the Integrated Nursing Course by Professor So Young Shin and the development of nursing core skills videos by Professor Yoon Mi Lee.

During the 4th LAIN-LUPIC workshop, Jina Oh said that through previous exchanges and collaboration, her understanding of outcome-based education has increased, but through specific training in writing learning outcomes, nursing education course development and evaluation capabilities have become even stronger. She also expressed the university’s commitment to promoting active participation by each project committee and to enhancing the capabilities of Laos’ nursing education, by doing their best with the participation of other professors from Inje University.

Inje University is the first in Korea to be selected as the Expansion Type of the LUPIC Project in 2019, which is supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea under the Korean Ministry of Education.