, Publisher
10-04-2009
Grambling State University’s School of Nursing is preparing students for real-life medical situations with cutting-edge technology. In a simulation lab funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, the students practice procedures with lifelike mannequins like the Sim Man G3. The lab also includes a mother, boy and newborn baby who can exhibit any number of lifelike bodily functions. This technology doesn’t come cheap, as Sim Man G3 alone cost $60,000.
This may seem wildly exorbitant, but the expenditure is worth it. GSU is offering a practical, real-world education in an increasingly relevant and growing field, thus making the school more attractive to potential nursing students. And there should be plenty of students looking to break into the field. The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that between now and 2026, 587,000 new nursing jobs will open up as a generation of Americans slip into their twilight years.
GSU’s sim lab classes are structured with two students as hands-on practitioners working with “patients” while eight other students observe. Instructors can program the mannequins with any case scenario they desire. In the lab, students are able to practice administering medication to the sims intravenously while instructors monitor the dosage via computer.
This is good news for patients who would otherwise be poked and prodded by nursing students like the proverbial guinea pig.
Another benefit of the sim lab is the comprehensive training. Without the simulation lab, students would only be subjected to scenarios available to them by the limited number of patients in a hospital. And now there is a shortage more than ever. It seems that the economic downturn has reduced hospital admissions as people are opting out of costly medical procedures. The New York Times reported that in September overall hospital admissions were down by two to three percent.
GSU’s School of Nursing sim lab is a valuable educational tool that will serve to not only help students but the community as it sends well-prepared medical personnel into the workforce.
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