Howard Community College

NNECTIONS In the health care field, the demand for a well-trained workforce continues to grow. To meet this need, Howard Community College has added two "hybrid" health care courses to its continuing education and workforce development division: Advanced Patient Care Skills and Nurse Assistant for the Pediatric Office. Both are structured to allow aspiring nurses to learn through a combination of classroom discussions, online lectures and hands-on clinical experience. In addition to the flexibility they offer, hybrid courses have become increasingly Do you feel anxious about driving when weather reports show rain, snow, or icy conditions in the forecast? If so, Howard Community College's new Advanced Driving Skills course may give you the skills and confidence you need to navigate those rain, snow, or ice-covered roads. The course, offered in partnership with DriveTeam, an Ohio-based company that specializes in collision popular because of the direct correlation between skills required to complete the class and skills required to do the job out in the field. Online reporting and documentation have become the standard in many industries, with health care being no exception. "Nearly all documentation in health care is done online today," said Jennifer Bukowitz Keller, nursing and allied health program director for HCC's continuing education and workforce development division. "Human interaction is a critical component in nursing education and can only be learned by real life interaction with people. At the same time, developing computer skills is essential and will help our students in the future as they avoidance training programs, teaches people how to properly brake, steer, and handle hydroplaning when weather conditions are less than ideal. Over the course of four hours, students receive classroom instruction, practical training using their own vehicles, and simulated exercises, using DriveTeam's Skid vehicle. The Skid car uses technology to alter tire traction and create a sensation of slick surfaces for a driver to practice and learn. "Research shows that the average driver will be in a crash every seven years," said Ken Stout, president and owner of DriveTeam, who teaches the course at HCC. "Most people have never been trained to drive in bad weather. This class allows drivers to practice Where Hands-On and Digital Learning Merge HCC Introduces New Hybrid Health Care Courses Learn How to Drive in All Weather Conditions in a Skid car that can simulate various weather conditions." Advanced Driving Skills is offered one Saturday per month at HCC. You must have a valid driver's license and auto insurance in order to enroll. search for jobs. Hybrid health care courses teach both." The two classes currently offered are functioning as pilots for HCC's continuing education and workforce development division, with a vision to gradually add more sections and course offerings in the hybrid format. "We are seeing a significant increase in the number of students registering for nursing classes who are currently enrolled in college courses, or who already hold higher academic degrees," said Bukowitz Keller. "These courses offer a lot of flexibility since the online portion can be completed at home at whatever time of day is best for each student, and the clinical skills portion can be completed at a convenient time on campus." coned.howardcc.edu/drive Watch the skid car in action: Spring 2015 | Pathways 15

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