23rd December 1998

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The University of Ulster has launched a £300,000 project which it believes has the potential to revolutionise in-service training for nurses, GPs and other professionals within the health and social services sectors here.

The three-year initiative, known as the Healthcare Distance Learning project, has been devised with the support of senior managers in the local Trusts and Boards.

Those behind the project used questionnaires and focus groups to ensure that the content, structure and delivery of the scheme will meet the current and future needs of the health sector in Northern Ireland.

It is estimated that more than 18,000 nurses in the province could be among those who have access to the scheme, which is expected to begin in February.

The Project Director, Dorothy Whittington, says it is vital that the health care professions are kept up-to-date with the latest developments in the health service and in clinical practice:

"This is not always easy however. Managers can find it difficult to maintain a full rota of staff when nurses and other professionals have to take time off for training.

"For the nurses themselves, the job can have very punishing hours. Any study outside those hours can take up a lot of precious time, as can travelling to the various classes. We at the University of Ulster have had people travel from Dublin, Waterford and even Scotland to take part in particular courses."

The initiative will mean students are no longer tied to having to attend classes at a fixed time or location but can study when and where, as it fits in with their busy schedule.

The Project will be delivered primarily through the Internet and through the HPSSNet Intranet. The team behind it is also consulting with other potential access points, such as libraries and institutes of further and higher education.

Dorothy Whittington says the Project hopes to have the first modules of study on-line within a matter of weeks:

"All the units of study are proper University modules. Students will be able to mix and match modules they learn through the scheme and those they study conventionally on the University campus."

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk