Nursing Simulation Lab
The Nursing Simulation Lab is a state-of-the-art learning center where nursing students gain real-world experience in a controlled clinical setting. The Nursing Simulation Lab is equipped with an array of high and low fidelity patient simulators, an electronic medical record system, anatomical models, and realistic medical equipment to support student learning.
The psychomotor skills classroom and the health assessment classrooms are fully equipped for safe, realistic, and repeated practice of nursing skills like IV insertion, medication administration, dressing changes, and physical assessment. The graduate health assessment room is equipped to support Family Nurse Practitioner students in learning and practicing advanced health assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills.
The simulation hospital is equipped with four fully functioning patient rooms, electronic patient monitors, a medication dispensing system, crash carts, a patient call system, and a nurses station to simulate a real hospital setting. Simulation is integrated throughout the undergraduate nursing curriculum to complement classroom and clinical experiences and aid in preparing students for competent practice. Each simulation scenario is designed to provide specific learning opportunities based on student learning needs. During simulation experiences, nursing students take charge of patient care and work through scenarios to practice critical thinking, communication, assessment, delegation, and teamwork.
Purpose
The purpose of the Nursing Simulation Lab is to provide our undergraduate and graduate students an exceptional educational experience in a dynamic and diverse learning environment. We aim to provide high quality, evidence-based learning opportunities while promoting nursing student clinical competence.
Goals
Experience in the Nursing Simulation Lab will prepare students to:
1. Adapt care to meet the needs of a variety of patients in a range of settings.
2. Utilize available resources and standard practices to provide safe patient care.
3. Communicate in a professional manner with patients, family members, and the healthcare team.
4. Collaborate with an inter and intraprofessional team.
5. Demonstrate clinical competence through repeated and deliberate practice.
6. Integrate theory and practice to prioritize and implement evidence based care.
7. Use reflection to self-analyze performance.
Simulation
Simulation in nursing education is a teaching strategy to mirror real life situations and complement clinical education. High fidelity manikins, standardized patients, realistic equipment, and realistic environments are used to recreate the clinical environment to provide nursing students a controlled, risk free environment to demonstrate psychomotor skills, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. The use of simulation allows students to learn by doing and by reflecting on their experience.