Simulation Lab Yields Big Benefits

“The simulation lab has helped me practice new skills so that I will be ready to do them in real life,” says nursing student Kellie Isaacson of Menahga, Minn.

“Skills that would otherwise be hard to practice, can be done on the manikins, and this helps me become more comfortable with my technique and confident as a nurse,” she says.

For Lacey Bremer of Red Lodge, Mont., the simulation lab puts cutting edge technology at the fingertips of students so they can practice specific skills before having to perform them in a clinical setting.

“The nursing program at Concordia has provided us with real life situations and equipment that require us to develop critical thinking skills, set priorities and delegate – which are essential in actual clinical practice,” says Bremer. “It’s good training for student nurses.”

Manikins help nursing students develop their confidence.

“You can mess up on a manikin and it’s not as big of a deal, you just do it over again. But messing up on an actual patient is a much different story,” says Isaacson.

For Erin Hencley, Little Canada, Minn., the simulation lab offers students many different teaching tools that apply to almost every aspect of nursing.

“Whether you want to change a wound dressing, insert a catheter or swaddle a baby, there’s a manikin available to practice on,” she says. “Most of our classes are lecture-based, so it’s nice to have the lab for hands-on experience.”

Hencley cannot wait to graduate and start a nursing career.

“I love the interaction with patients, and the opportunity to learn something new every day,” she says. “I think good attributes for nurses are to be friendly, engaging, thorough, staying positive and have great listening skills.”

The Fargo-Moorhead community is another attraction for Kathryn Skogen of Bemidji, Minn.

“Concordia is only minutes away from hospitals and clinics that serve as great clinical sites for nursing students,” says Skogen. “The opportunity to go into the Fargo-Moorhead community and gain hands-on experience was a big factor for me in choosing Concordia."

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