U.S. Rep. Weller to view simulated nursing lab at University of St. Francis
U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller will visit the University of St. Francis on Thursday, April 20 to see nursing faculty and students demonstrate a new virtual reality nursing skills laboratory. Weller will be on campus from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Motherhouse.
College of Nursing and Allied Health faculty worked with Weller to secure $150,000 in funding to outfit the lab, which is one of the most sophisticated in the Midwest.
The new simulated laboratory (SimLab) family includes the SimMan® lifelike human mannequin, a SimBaby and a SimBirthing Mother. The SimLab provides USF nursing students with a state-of-the-art experience that few nursing colleges in the country can offer, according to Dr. Maria Connolly, dean, CONAH. "Our state-of-the-art nursing skills lab enables undergraduate nursing students to practice in a non-threatening environment before they begin to try their skills on real patients in acute care settings," she explained.
The simulation mannequin’s talk and cry, have blood pressure, pulses, heart sounds, respirations, bowel sounds, airway obstruction, EKG rhythms, oxygen saturation, lip cyanosis. Student nurses can start IVs, take blood pressures, palpate pulses, insert a nasogastric tube, foley catheter and chest tube or practice chest tube incision care. They can also perform incision dressing care, set up hemodynamic monitoring and give injection medication.
The University of St. Francis, at 500 Wilcox St. in Joliet, serves 4,100 students nationwide. Founded in 1920 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, the university offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study and 13 graduate programs.