With the nursing shortage in America, healthcare professionals have
sought a number of ways to fill the gap educationally. The country has
made changes to expand its capacity to teach new nurses, while others
are creating programs designed to produce good nurses faster. One new
program at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) in Nevada hopes to
prepare its nursing students for work in a hospital setting.
Karen Fontaine, director of TMCC's nursing program, announced that a
newly renovated nursing wing was just opened to better prepare students
to deal with real life hospital situations. Fontaine believes that the
new program will do more than just prepare future nurses for their job.
They may also benefit from having been exposed to clinical settings when
potential employers are hiring.
The nursing wing at TMCC's main Dandini Campus north of Reno just
underwent a $550,000 renovation which included the additions of a
simulation laboratory and medication dispensing system, and an
electronic medical record-keeping system.
"A student might not see a diabetic with low blood pressure, but we can
create that situation by simulating a hospital experience," Fontaine
said. "One of the best things about simulations is students do get to
learn the skills they need; but the best thing is it really helps them
develop their critical thinking skills."
One of the training tools in the new nursing wing is a mannequin that
the students have named "Sim-Man," a simulated patient that reacts to
treatment and medication. Sim-Man is controlled by instructors outside
of the room. They trigger its syptoms and responses to treatment.
"You can be treating him for a broken leg and you think that is the only
problem, but then you see his oxygen level go down so you put him on
oxygen," TMCC nursing student Matt Polak said. "Or sometimes his heart
rate is too high and it could be because of pain or numerous other
things." He continued, "The instructors can change the physical
responses and talk through him to give you life-like situations, which
is great when you get a curve ball thrown at you. You have to use
critical thinking skills right on the spot."
Currently, there are about 130 students in the TMCC nursing program.
Nevada has been noted for its low nurse-to-patient ratios in recent
years, but the recession has taken a toll on the state's workers and
more nurses are either delaying retirement or increasing their work
hours, so that ratio is easing. Fontaine pointed out, "But nursing is
still ranked as the most recession-proof job."