Their overall objectives were: 1. To further prepare educational directors in hospitals and ultimately other health agencies in being change agents and planners for their inservice programs for nursing personnel. 2. To illustrate the role the Junior College could and should play as an agency coordinating continuing education activities in health agencies.
This above process lasted two years.
The project director Helen "Pat" Keefe was appointed in August, 1971 and the group entitled the "Florida Community Junior College Extended Campus", and was finally a reality. See a separate page for original goals and objectives.
The group met regularly for nearly two years, and accomplished all their objectives. Their goal as written was more than could be accomplished in this short period.
We found that we all had similar problems. Our seminars provided the knowledge to define the problem and group experiences brought us to the best solutions.
Grant funds provided A/V resources, which were shared by all, when the concept of inservice education was too new to be budgeted.
The group learned "first hand" about the "adult learner" and fortified, and shared this knowledge in their own facilities.
This sharing and leaning together made us all better people and from June 1973 until January 1975 this was a period of individual growth.
It was also during this time that some of the original group members were involved with writing the New Florida Nurse Practice Act, which mandated continuing education, and actually mandated our coming together again.
Dottie Vonerhaar, an original member, called the first meeting of the present group on January 10, 1975. We were all glad to be together again and have worked towards renewed and stronger relationships in our ever changing health care field.
Our structure is informal with a chairman and secretary keeping a semblance of order for meetings. These officers are elected at the June meeting.
We meet in members' hospitals or local restaurants on the first Friday of the month September through June. The hosting member is responsible for providing a health, or educationally related program.
We strive to include new comers to the position or area to establish a working communication with others in their practice.
Sharing program information to avoid duplication and resources for cost containment is always productive.
This is the place to bring a problem, if we haven't solved it before as "many heads are better than one."
This has been written as a handout for new members to explain the history and purpose of our group.