Co-operation between RSU and Latvian Maritime Academy in OnBoard-Med project

On 13–14 April the jointly organised event of Latvian Partners (RSU and LMA) "Harmonization of on Board Medical Treatment, Occupational Safety and Emergency Skills in Baltic Sea Shipping" (OnBoard-Med project) was held in the RSU Medical Education Technology Centre.

Lecturers from RSU Department of Nursing and Midwifery Baiba Vilīte, Anita Znotiņa and Rafaels Ciekurs together with a group of students from the Latvian Maritime Academy piloted a study course “Advanced Emergency Care”. The students had had the opportunity to use and acquire the study materials (traumas and injuries, wound care, cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on the OPTIMA study platform, and to complete self-assessment online tests in advance. In turn the necessary skills and competences were acquired in cooperation with the lecturers in simulations of potential cases. All the modern equipment required for the effective and complete acquisition of students' skills was financed from the OnBoard-Med project. Feedback provided by students via an electronic survey at the end of the pilot course will be important for the improvement and development of the study course.

The OnBoard-Med project has been implemented from 1 September 2016 to 30 May 2019. Its main aim is to coordinate and develop training courses to improve medical, emergency and occupational safety skills in Baltic Sea shipping as well as develop cross-border cooperation between medical and maritime transport institutions. The project leader is the Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland), and beside the Latvian partners, the Estonian Nautical School (Estonia) and the Aland University of Applied Sciences (Finland) are involved in implementation of the project.