AU School of Nursing goes the extra mile for students

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on virtually every aspect of American life, but few industries have been as affected by the virus as healthcare.

Walking into a clinic means answering questions about fevers, coughing, and exposure to COVID-19. The ability to visit loved ones in the hospital has been limited even for those who are admitted for non-COVID-19 illnesses.

The limited access to healthcare facilities goes beyond patients and their families. It is impacting nursing education as the pandemic has limited the essential in-person learning experiences for nursing students.

Due to COVID-19, clinical sites became limited, impacting students’ ability to attend in-person learning experiences. Pamela Taylor, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, Dean of the School of Nursing at Aurora University, said, “The solution has been the use of the University’s Simulation Lab, which allows students to safely practice real-world scenarios in realistic settings in which they are able to treat computer programmed manikins who exhibit various medical conditions.”

“The manikins are capable of providing real-life patient scenarios,” said Aurora University Simulation Laboratory Coordinator/Assistant Professor Georgine Maisch MSN, CHSE, CNE, RN. “They are programmed to be as realistic as possible.”

Maisch said the lab is operating six days per week offering students a variety of patient scenarios. One scenario involves a post-op patient who is older and just had surgery. Another scenario involves a hospice patient who has decided to forego cancer treatment.

“We also utilize realistic spaces to enhance the learning experience,” Maisch said. “For instance, students interact with the hospice patient in a space that looks like someone’s house. These details make the scenarios much closer to real life.”

“The realism of the simulation experience augments the students’ learning,” Taylor said. “Being exposed to these situations in nursing school enhances their critical thinking and clinical decision making and prepares students for practice.”

Taylor explains simulation includes a pre-brief, a simulated scenario, and a debrief where students receive feedback and reflect on their learning. “The debrief is often the most valuable part of the experience,” Taylor said. “It is during the debrief that students can learn from their mistakes and get better.”

The Simulation Lab at Aurora University was an important learning tool for nursing students before COVID-19, but it has become an indispensable tool during the pandemic.

“We have to think about the future and prepare for the next pandemic or an unexpected event when access to clinical sites may be limited,” Taylor said. “This is why we are looking to expand and enhance our Simulation Lab.”

Taylor said the University is asking for federal assistance that will be matched by University resources to double the lab capacity and allow the University to purchase manikins that more adequately reflects patients that students will be caring for in the community.

Currently, there are 767 students enrolled in AU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, which represents 21.4% of AU’s total undergraduate population. Of those, 43% are Latinx.

The federal request will enhance an already great program. In 2019, 94% of the Aurora University School of Nursing students passed the NCLEX-RN, a nationwide examination for the licensing of registered nurses.

Nursing students at Aurora University are mentored and guided throughout the program. Students are assigned a faculty mentor and provided additional resources, such as academic advising and student support services, as well as innovations such as the Simulation Lab to assist them in graduating from the nursing program and achieving a successful career in nursing.

“Our faculty goes the extra mile to help students be successful,” Taylor said. “It is my hope the policy makers in Washington, D.C., see Aurora University’s commitment to student success and grant the opportunity to expand our Simulation Lab, increasing the resiliency of the nursing program and preparing the next generation of nursing leaders.”