My name is Lona and I have been a registered nurse since 1987. In my early career I became interested in emergency and then medivac nursing in the Northwest Territories. While I have always been interested in teaching, helping my classmates in high school with their math or chemistry, my first formal teaching opportunity was with Basic Trauma Life Support courses for first responders and emergency room nurses. I added to my teaching repertoire for several years: CPR; cardiac arrhythmias; Pediatric Advanced Life Support; Neonatal Resuscitation program until finally I began full time teaching in a nursing degree program in Yellowknife in 2004. After returning to BC in 2006, I made the leap into distance education and have taught in the post-RN degree program at UVic as well as the Return to RN Practice program through TRU-OL where I presently have worked since 2009.
As I reflect on my nursing career, which has changed many directions since those early days in emergency (including public & community health, management, residential care and currently pediatrics), I realize that the thread of teaching has been there the entire time. This blog site is a result of my participation in the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP) through Vancouver Community College (VCC). Feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions.
Email: lheinzig@tru.ca