U of S College of Nursing unveils official robot names for mentoring technology used in northern nursing education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Feb. 28, 2013 2013-02-14-OTHER Air Ronge, SK - The University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing announced the winning name for the community nursing robot at Northlands College in Air Ronge. The robot allows faculty located at the College of Nursing sites in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert to "beam in" to the northern sites on demand, enabling students to learn where they live.

By University Communications Feb 28, 2013

The College of Nursing started using Remote Presence technology to deliver undergraduate nursing courses in Air Ronge and Île-à-la-Crosse in September 2012. In fall 2012, the college held a contest at both sites asking local residents and surrounding communities to name the robots. The college received several entries, but ultimately the winning name for the Air Ronge robot was RoboGale ("Gale") as submitted by Waldo Berg. "The explanation behind the name is simple. It combines 'robot' and the most famous nurse of all time, Florence Nightingale," said Berg.
The college also held a similar event earlier this week in Île-à-la-Crosse where they announced the winning name for their community nursing robot as IleXPERT ("Pert"), as submitted by Sharon Hoffman. "Ile X is our community in short hand and I thought PERT could stand for "professional expertise remote technology," said Hoffman. "Pert" is currently being used at the Keewatin Yatthé Regional Health Authority at St. Joseph's Hospital and Health Centre in Île-à-la-Crosse.
Each robot stands about five-and-half feet tall, with a flat-screen monitor mounted on top that displays the professor's face. An embedded camera transmits images of students or patients back to the professor.
"By using Remote Presence technology, nursing students living in northern communities have access to faculty and mentors and the opportunity to obtain a first-class education without leaving their communities," said Lorna Butler, dean of the College of Nursing.
"The robots are connected over broadband internet through local Wi-Fi service. They are accessed and operated remotely with a laptop and joystick, allowing a professor in Regina, Saskatoon or Prince Albert to move the robot around the room in Air Ronge, for example," explained Butler. "The technology allows faculty experts to engage with students at remote sites to teach and assess clinical competencies."
For more information on the use of this technology, please visit the College of Nursing website: www.usask.ca/nursing/innovation/remote_presence.php
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For more information, contact:
Kylie Dietrick
Communications Officer
College of Nursing
(306) 281-8448
kylie.dietrick@usask.ca