Clinical Learning

Hands-on learning and practical experience in simulated and real health care settings

Simulation

Our Clinical Learning Center is an active learning space with simulation suites and skills labs designed to enhance learning and develop students into practice-ready nursing professionals. Here, students learn essential nursing procedures in a high-fidelity environment with more than 9,000 square feet of convertible space that supports classroom-style learning and skills and simulation set-ups in one location.

a patient monitoring station in a hospital room

Students learn and practice technical skills such as physical assessment, medication administration and care procedures in the center’s skills labs. As students advance through their respective program, the center offers opportunities to build progressive skills for the patient population they are studying.

a simulated mother and baby used in a health care simulation lab to help nursing students learn how to deliver a baby

Simulation-based learning is a cornerstone in both our undergraduate and graduate programs, giving students opportunities to practice a spectrum of patient care scenarios in a controlled learning environment. Using high-fidelity computer-controlled patient simulators, standardized patient actors, procedure task trainers and skills equipment, students develop and hone critical thinking skills to assess, diagnose and treat patients.

The Clinical Learning Center has three simulation suites with control rooms behind one-way mirrors. High-fidelity patient simulators such as Laerdal’s Sim-Man 3G, Sim-Baby and Sim-Mom support realistic patient experiences and flexible spaces in the center can be converted to replicate a variety of health care environments such as residential/home health and community-based settings.

Clinical Education

Clinical education is an essential component that bridges the gap between the classroom and direct care. It involves hands-on, real-world experiences in health care settings where students apply their knowledge, develop skills and gain insights into patient care. Through supervised interactions with patients, medical procedures and interprofessional collaboration, clinical education prepares students for the challenges and responsibilities of providing high-quality care in diverse health care settings.

two nursing students look on while a preceptor demonstrates a task

Our students receive a diverse clinical experience in a multitude of settings. From rotations in a large urban medical center and veterans affairs hospitals, to community health settings, small rural hospitals, physical rehabilitation centers and publicly operated assisted living homes, students learn to deliver culturally competent and inclusive care.