Alumnae Memory Donation
ALUMNAE MEMORY DONATION ENHANCES LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
AT THE SCHOOL OF NURSING
Classmates and colleagues joined the family of Donna Howell on
April 12, 2010 to celebrate a special donation made in her honour
to the School of Nursing. Donna’s fellow alumnae from the
class of 1978 recently raised the funds to purchase a mobile
technology cart for the touch-screen monitors and computer that
accompanies “Noelle”, the female maternity patient
simulator at the school’s Learning Resource Centre.
Donna Howell, who passed away in the fall of 2009, was a maternity
nurse for almost 30 years. Her classmates felt it was only
appropriate that their gifts go towards helping educate new nursing
students in maternity techniques.
“Donna was an incredible woman and a true bedside
nurse,” said Donna Hutchens , one of Donna Howell’s
classmates who helped organize the initiative. “We started
nursing together years ago in Labour and Delivery at the
Grace.”
Brenda Oldford, a nursing clinical instructor at the Learning
Resource Centre, outlined how the mobile technology cart will
enhance learning opportunities for students at the school.
“Now we can monitor Noelle’s maternal and neonatal
vital signs anywhere and for any size of audience,” she
said.
Ms. Oldford enraptured those in attendance by demonstrating the
full capabilities of the patient simulator. Assisted by Donna
Hutchens, Ms. Oldford delivered Noelle’s simulated baby boy
while guests and family members looked on.
Mr. Darcy McMeekin, development officer for the school, gave
special thanks to the Howell and Crewe families “for allowing
us to share Donna’s memory with the next generation of
nurses. “
“We will be attaching a plaque to the cart in Donna’s
memory, as a reminder that we care for and remember our students in
every stage of their life.”
By Jenn Deon
