iROC Initiative

The Redefining Our Classroom Initiative, or iROC, leverages technology to shift the traditional classroom into a dynamic learning environment. The initiative aims to revitalize the way we teach and better prepare UR Nursing students for a successful career in health care; honing their critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in a complex and evolving health care environment.

Recognized by Apple as a distinguished school for continuous innovation in learning, teaching, and the school environment

We're pleased to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2021-24 after launching the iROC mobile learning initiative to achieve our vision for 21st-century nursing education practices.

Why iROC?

The U.S. health care environment continues to evolve, and in turn, so do the demands on nurses and nursing students. New nurses are expected to care for high acuity patients in fast-paced, unpredictable clinical settings where quick decision making and critical thinking skills are pivotal to positive patient outcomes.

To educate safe and competent future nurses, students need to be engaged in activities that foster critical thinking and improve clinical judgment. To do so, nursing educators need to go beyond traditional lecture-based curriculums and shift to a more personalized learning approach, one where students are able to apply content learned in the classroom to the clinical setting.

To drive that approach forward, UR Nursing introduced the iROC initiative in 2018. The initiative integrates active learning strategies in a dynamic, digital classroom to support UR Nursing students on their journey of becoming the nursing leaders of tomorrow.

We thought - what does marching forward into the future look like for us? It means embracing a systems-approach and embracing collaboration. And it means being competency-based. Students need to engage in clinical reasoning and think critically in a clinical setting. We need to go beyond what a student knows to what they can do with what they know.

iROC in Action

School of Nursing Students in Class holding iPads

Dynamic Environment

The iROC Initiative has enabled digital technologies to foster an environment of discovery which puts our students at the center of their own learning experience.

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Students in the lab wearing PPE and using and iPad for learning

Lab & Clinical

Students use the iPad in the skills/simulation labs and in their clinical experiences to document electronic records, scan patient barcodes, review case studies, and participate in virtual simulations.

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Student in classroom with instructor showing the student how to use the iPad

Faculty Development

Our faculty and instructional designers are dedicated to innovation at every educational level.

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Students wearing tie-dye t-shirtds holding a School of Nursing duffle bag

iROC & Accelerated Program

Accelerated Nursing students receive an iPad on the first day of orientation and utilize it throughout their program.

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Students in classroom looking happy to get their iPads

iROC & RN to BS Program

Launched in 2018, students receive an iPad in the RN to BS Online program to complete interactive and hands-on online courses, ensuring students have equitable access to technology and IT support.

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On the Horizon

A pilot in our Nurse Practitioner programs, students use the iPad in clinical settings to bring current evidence to the bedside and facilitate best practices in patient education.

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iROC and the Accelerated Programs for Non-Nurses

The iROC Initiative was launched in the Accelerated Program for Non-Nurses in 2019. Students receive an iPad on the first day of orientation and utilize it throughout their classroom, lab, and clinical experiences over the 12 month program. After implementation, students performed better on the Comprehensive Health Assessment exam and were more satisfied with instruction materials, workload, and resources.

iROC and the RN to BS Program

The iROC Initiative was launched in the RN to BS Online program in 2018. Students receive an iPad to complete interactive and hands-on online courses, ensuring students have equitable access to technology and IT support.

2018

The iROC (Redefining Our Classroom) Initiative began at UR Nursing

540

Current number of students utilizing iPad devices across UR Nursing programs

Median exam score of the Comprehensive Health Assessment with the Flipped Classroom Approach and iPad devices.

See What Students Are Saying

The iROC initiative focuses on providing students with a technological platform that enhances their learning experience. The provision of the iPads at the beginning of the school year facilitated my learning in so many different ways. My favorite experience was an online telemedicine simulation — it was exciting to gain insight on this form of patient care.

Incorporating the iPads in our curriculum has truly given value to experiential learning. Learning has become fun and more interactive because of the games, surveys and other activities we are able to do on the iPad. The iPads also create an enriching mock environment of clinical experiences that allow us to exercise and sharpen our fundamental nursing skills, which makes the material that much more comprehensive. I really feel more confident and equipped to begin my career.