Virtual Nursing Center to expand by 50 percent

Fri, February 26, 2010 |

Valparaiso University's College of Nursing will soon offer more hands-on learning opportunities for students in an expanded Virtual Nursing Learning Center.

The Virtual Nursing Learning Center, located on the ground level of the College of Nursing's LeBien Hall, offers patient stations with realistic mannequins, beds and equipment that provide a simulation-based nursing lab experience for students.

Center director Beth Olejniczak says the expansion will increase the size of the Virtual Nursing Learning Center by about 50 percent and includes the conversion of an upstairs classroom. Work will begin in March and the project should be complete by the start of fall semester.

"This new space will allow our nursing students to work more closely in simulations with pediatric and obstetric patients," says Olejniczak. "In the new lab, we are able to create learning situations they might not get a chance to see during their time in the hospital. It's a true hands-on learning experience."

The expansion will allow the addition of a clinical component to each undergraduate nursing course, Olejniczak said, and the new lab space will house infant simulation mannequins.

Dr. Janet Brown, dean of Valpo's College of Nursing, says adding more simulation equipment allows students to gain more hands-on experience in obstetrics and completes the simulation family in Valpo's College of Nursing.

"In a field where seconds can mean the difference between life and death, Valpo's College of Nursing is preparing nurses for the realities they will face in a hospital," says Dr. Brown. "By exposing student teams to real life scenarios, it offers a safe environment in which students gain experience and confidence without risking patient safety."

The College of Nursing offers several innovative options for undergraduate students including a four-year BSN curriculum, accelerated BSN option, and RN-BSN and RN-MSN options. The College of Nursing also offers the master of science in nursing degree with a focus on nursing education, a joint MSN/MBA program and a doctor of nursing practice program.

More information about Valpo's College of Nursing can be found at http://www.valpo.edu/nursing.