Information Technology, Continuing Education, and Cross-partnership Collaboration Highlighted at St. Petersburg NRC Workshop

Nursing Resource Center (NRC) directors, partnership information coordinators, and primary care nurses from 13 countries in the NIS and CEE convened in St. Petersburg August 1-4 to examine technology's impact on the nursing profession and focus on information technology applications that facilitate clinical knowledge, training, patient education, and collaboration across partnerships and regions.

Helpful Resources
	Materials on Palacky University NRC, Olomouc, Czech Republic, presented at St. Petersburg NRC Workshop, 2001

Highlighting the important and complimentary roles of NRCs, Learning Resource Centers (LRCs), and Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs), the meeting introduced the 53 participants to a broad range of interactive activities, including computer training, curriculum planning, poster projects, and SWOT analysis of individual Centers. Participants learned the importance of clear communication and how to make the best use of their institution's scarce resources through regional collaboration.

During the workshop, information coordinators taught the nurses how to establish e-mail accounts and perform Internet searches. Nurses and information coordinators from the same cities then collaborated on proposals for projects ranging from patient education on HIV/AIDS prevention and healthy lifestyles to training staff on rational pharmaceutical management and using the Internet to obtain evidence-based protocols. In addition, the NRC directors worked to develop fundraising ideas to provide continued support for their Centers and related educational programs.

Pamela Thompson, executive director of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), and Carol Dabek, associate vice president of patient care services at Rhode Island's Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, conducted the four-day event.