Nursing students at Fitchburg State University will benefit from cutting edge technology and next-level simulations thanks to generous grants from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation and the George I. Alden Trust.

The grants will fund wearable technology to let students and instructors utilize the latest augmented reality software as well as stipends for nursing and game design students to create and deploy new scenarios for nurses in training.

“This really is cutting edge,” said Associate Professor Deborah Benes, chair of Fitchburg State’s Nursing Department. “We’re giving our students the opportunity to work with equipment they never would have seen before that’s being used in the workforce right now.”

 Nursing  students learn the methods of, and importance of, patient oxygenation in their Nursing Foundations Lab. In this course, emphasis is placed on professionalism, caring, communication, cultural considerations, spirituality, sexuality and health promoting activities. 

Curtis P. Rodgers (C.P.R.) is back in the Simulation Lab, so our nursing students were immersed in a code blue  simulation. A “code blue” is defined as any patient with an unexpected cardiac or respiratory arrest requiring resuscitation and activation of a hospital-wide alert. A pause in the scenario allowed faculty to go in-depth in the scenario and allowed the students to work on their CPR skills; given immediate feedback from both the mannikin patient, and external devices. Our Nursing Simulation Laboratory assists nursing students in learning critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in preparation for their healthcare careers. The “manikins” act as lifelike patient simulators, wherein instructors provide real-time feedback via a control center, giving students as close to real-life simulation as possible. Fellow students acted as support staff and assisted the team through the simulation once the code blue alarm was initiated. All students and faculty debrief after the scenario.

This time, Lily was admitted from the ER with sepsis and is waiting for a bed in the ICU Our nursing students were directed to administer medications, and work through the simulation in real time. Our Nursing Simulation Laboratory assists nursing students in learning critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in preparation for their healthcare careers. The “manikins” act as lifelike patient simulators, wherein instructors provide real-time feedback via a control center, giving students as close to real-life simulation as possible. Fellow students acted as support staff and assisted the team through the simulation once the code blue alarm was initiated. All students and faculty debrief after the scenario.

Nursing students review dosing and administering medications via injection in their Nursing Foundations Lab with Professor Arlana Arsenault.

This afternoon, teams of our nursing students, were immersed in a code blue  simulation for patient Curtis P. Rodgers. A “code blue” is defined as any patient with an unexpected cardiac or respiratory arrest requiring resuscitation and activation of a hospital-wide alert. A pause in the scenario allowed faculty to go in-depth in the scenario and allowed the students to work on their CPR skills; given immediate feedback from both the mannikin patient, and external devices. Our Nursing Simulation Laboratory assists nursing students in learning critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in preparation for their healthcare careers. The “manikins” act as lifelike patient simulators, wherein instructors provide real-time feedback via a control center, giving students as close to real-life simulation as possible. Fellow students acted as support staff and assisted the team through the simulation once the code blue alarm was initiated. All students and faculty debrief after the scenario.

With the assistance of our third-year nursing students, our second year nursing students got immersed in a hospital patient care check simulation for patient Ronnie Schmidt, under care for a post-operative abdominal surgery. Our Nursing Simulation Laboratory assists nursing students in learning critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in preparation for their healthcare careers. The “manikins” act as lifelike patient simulators, wherein instructors provide real-time feedback via a control center, giving students as close to real-life simulation as possible. Fellow students watch as their classmates work through the simulation. All students and faculty debrief after the scenario.

Students in Nursing Professor Althea Aranda's Med-Surgical Nursing I Foundations Lab work through various scenarios they will face in clinics. This course establishes the foundation for core concepts in the nursing care of adults with common health alterations. The development of critical thinking skills is emphasized. Nursing care is presented using a nursing process framework. Kudos to our Nursing Students and Faculty, for the recently announced that 98% of its May 2023 nursing graduates passed the NCLEX licensure examination on their first try last summer and fall. Read more about that here.

Last week, at the final Simulation Lab scenario, our second year Nursing students got immersed in a hospital patient care check simulation for patient Jackie Johnson, under care for an abdominal procedure. Our Nursing Simulation Laboratory assists nursing students in learning critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in preparation for their healthcare careers. The “manikins” act as lifelike patient simulators, wherein instructors provide real-time feedback via a control center, giving students as close to real-life simulation as possible. Fellow students watch as their classmates work through the simulation. All students and faculty debrief after the scenario.

The Nursing Department faculty and staff treated our Nursing Students to a break before the holidays with their homemade treats and cocoa. A welcomed break before the finals begin.