IMU Nursing Student : My Experiential Learning at a Summer Course

A summer course on “Health 4.0: Managements & Technologies for Improving Primary Health Care in Developing Countries” was organised by the University Gadjah Mada from Yogyakarta, Indonesia from 26 October 2020 to 6 November 2020 (pre-course) and 9 November 2020 to 20 November 2020 (main course). The course learning outcomes were directed towards improving inter-professionalism in healthcare services. This year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the summer course was held in a virtual platform via Zoom. I was very privileged to be selected to participate in this course under the IMU‘s outbound Student Mobility Programme Funding. The Summer Course outlines an integration of health sciences with social sciences in health system, and the primary health care in the developing countries. As the course was conducted using synchronous and asynchronous modes to allow self-pace learning and flexibility, I was able to continue my duty as a working nurse while taking care of my family. A total of 116 healthcare providers mainly from Indonesia with a few from Amsterdam and Malaysia, participated in this years’ summer course. The invited speakers were Information Communication Technology (ICT) experts from various countries such as Singapore, Australia, United States of America and Indonesia.

I realised that there is so much to learn about ICT in healthcare. I enjoyed learning from the various experts of Information Communication Technology (ICT) all around the Asian countries. There seemed to be no barrier among healthcare professionals in providing holistic care to the community using technology-mediated approaches.

Participants were divided into groups where each group was assigned the task to identify limitations of ICT implementation in healthcare services and provide recommendations for its improvement. There are six members in my team who are from a mixture of health-related disciplines such as pharmacy, medical, dentistry and nursing. Our team-mates were supportive of each other during the virtual course. We managed to present our group work successfully. I felt a sense of joy and encouragement despite the challenges to complete the course. The challenges faced include time spent for the virtual course while working night shifts/studying; and differences in language/cultural background among the team members. We managed to overcome those obstacles and with great support and understanding from each other. I gained new knowledge and friendships through active interaction and participation in course activities. George Santayana, the philosopher, once said, “Even the wisest has something to learn”.  I am now able to share the new knowledge related to health information system with my working colleagues and peers.

Overall, I am glad for the opportunity given by IMU for me to participate in the summer course. It is important for healthcare professionals to consider the integration of ICT in the healthcare system in Malaysia. Ziden, Fook, Hoong and Rahman (2017) assert on the importance of ICT skills in various sectors particularly in the higher education to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation, communication and collaboration skills in learners. This is also aligned with the Malaysia National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2013) in developing ICT in the country. Policy makers and administers play a role for a successful integration of technology in the healthcare system for quality care.

Written by Tang Mei Kwei, IMU Nursing Student Edited by Chang Woan Ching and Dr Lim Swee Geok