Nursing students at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) are receiving state-of-the-art training this fall in a new simulation lab funded by $625,000 in grant funding from the Community Education Coalition and Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015 (EcO15).
Responding to the growing demand for highly skilled nurses in regional healthcare facilities, IUPUC renovated an existing classroom, office and computer lab to create the new hands-on learning space, which is more than double the size of the former lab.
The lab includes actual hospital beds, supplies, and equipment, which makes the learning experience as realistic as possible. It is comprised of two simulation rooms, two debriefing rooms, an exam room, control room, and one faculty office.
Spacious enough to conduct classes and simulation exercises at the same time, it features the latest in technology, including a large-format interactive collaboration monitor and ten iPads for student use.
The lab enables IUPUC play a greater role in addressing a shortage of qualified registered nurses, while students benefit by becoming better prepared for a career field with many job opportunities.
“It is very important we educate more and better prepared nurses with bachelor’s degrees in south central Indiana,” said Dr. Beth A. Sharer, division head of the IU School of Nursing at IUPUC. “The largest nursing shortage we have seen in several decades is approaching. Many nurses are beginning to retire—and that number will grow over the next ten years.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for registered nurses, or RNs, will grow faster than any other occupation through 2012, Sharer added.
The number of students wanting to enroll in IUPUC’s nursing program is also growing, making admission for available spaces highly competitive even as the campus expands and improves its facilities.
The average grade point average for students in the BSN program is almost 3.8 on a 4.0 scale, Sharer said. An average of 20 students are admitted to IUPUC’s BSN program each year. In addition, there are currently 173 RNs in the university’s RN to BSN hybrid program.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at IUPUC began in 2010 with a 1,103-square-foot simulation lab, also funded by an EcO15 grant. Enrollment quickly grew, however, and more space was needed almost as soon as the initial lab opened.
The university now has 2,825 square feet of space and up to 40 students can engage in nursing simulations with an infant, a child, and two full-sized adults, including “SimMan.”
“From a teaching and learning perspective, SimMan is a great tool because he’s very sophisticated,” said Kristen Needler Hosmer, clinical assistant nursing professor and lab coordinator. “He can talk, breathe, has a pulse and blood pressure, and makes sounds in his lungs, heart and bowels.”
From the control room, the high-fidelity manikin’s actions are monitored and adapted to test student skill. Pre-programmed scenarios teach standard care techniques, while customized scenarios add real-time instruction as students react to changing patient needs.
Other students can observe from another room on closed-circuit television. Each simulation includes video, audio, and data logs used for student debriefing and additional instruction.
“Simulations in nursing education are crucial because they help students bridge the disconnect between a classroom and the reality of practice,” Hosmer said. “They learn to think critically and make quick decisions to care for patients.”
They also provide students with a safe, risk-free place to learn and become confident in their nursing skills, Sharer explained, adding that simulations are also part of their clinical education when students progress to real-world settings at Columbus Regional Hospital and Schneck Medical Center.
Sharer and Hosmer both report the design and construction of the lab at IUPUC would not have been possible without the generous financial support of key educational partners.
“We thank the friends of IUPUC who made this important new addition to our campus possible,” acknowledged Dr. Marwan Wafa, IUPUC’s vice chancellor and dean. “We are grateful to be part of a community where higher education is both valued and seen as an important priority for our future growth and development.”
For more information about the IU School of Nursing at IUPUC, visit www.iupuc.edu/nursing or call 812.348.7250.