MIAMI (Aug. 22, 2018) – To kick off the new academic year, Barry University’s College of Nursing & Health Sciences (CNHS) is introducing telepresence robots for use in classroom settings and simulation labs, making them the first nursing program in Florida to utilize the Double Robotics technology. This will give students and professors in remote locations the chance to observe lessons and procedures firsthand, in a highly interactive environment. This advancement is also coinciding with the college’s 65th anniversary as it continues to be a trailblazer in nursing education. Barry’s nursing program began on Sept. 21, 1953.
As distance education increases in popularity, Barry University and CNHS are meeting the demand by adding telepresence robots, which will allow nursing programs to expand their hybrid classrooms, supporting on-campus and off-campus students with consistent guidance and instruction.
The college acquired three Double Robotics’ robots, made possible through a gift from the Florida Blue Foundation. Instructors and guest lecturers will also have access to the robots when they are unable to teach on campus, creating more diverse and frequent educational opportunities within the programs. The robots will allow students, instructors and guest lecturers to be dynamically immersed in lessons and with one another in the classroom, mimicking in-person learning interactions.
“The introduction of these robots to our curriculum will bring the future into the present. Telehealth and the use of robotics in clinical practice is just beginning to make its mark,” says Dr. John McFadden, dean of CNHS. “As the ever-changing landscape of health care continues to adapt to new technology, it’s important that our students enter the nursing field well-equipped and immediately qualified to address the challenges in the industry. This is one of the many ways we are preparing them to do just that.”