The new Nursing Skills Lab in Adams Humanities 2132 is an exciting addition to the San Diego State University School of Nursing.
Mission & Goals
The primary goal of the Skills Lab is to enhance the first semester nursing students’ didactic learning of nursing intervention concepts with the valuable opportunity of practicing them on adult-sized “patients.” In addition to scheduled campus lab sessions, the lab has open hours for all students in the SON. This allows practice time for any student of some of the most commonly performed fundamental skills in an acute care hospital setting.
The uniqueness of the Skills Lab is that it combines the atmosphere of the hospital environment with sophisticated learning technology. It is instrumental for insuring the success of all our nursing students as they progress throughout their baccalaureate program.
Hands-On Learning
The Skills Lab physical layout accommodates various learning areas and stations according to the needs of the students. Both sides of the room are lined with 5 hospital beds holding “patients” (mannequins) complete with identification bands and dressed in hospital gowns. Each bed area is equipped with an over-the-bed tray and cabinet stand. Above each bed is a panel with realistic appearing oxygen, air, and suction outlets as well as a container for the proper disposal of sharps. Hand-gel dispensers at every bedside serve to reinforce the importance of hand hygiene.
The “patients,” with movable limbs and replaceable parts, are recipients of a variety of nursing interventions – repositioning, injections, intravenous catheters, nasogastric tubes, foley catheters, wound care, and oxygenation therapy. The intravenous volumetric pumps and feeding pumps enhance the “hands-on” learning. A sophisticated patient lift system – donated by the Veterans Affairs Hospital – allows for patient repositioning and transfers out of bed. This is accomplished with the use of sling devices, an overhead frame, and automated hand control. The IV catheter simulation station provides a virtual reality module for students for intravenous catheter placement.
In the center of the room is a seating area with movable tables to enhance visibility for any sized group of students. The smart classroom system accommodates both Macintosh and PC computers. There is a VHS/DVD player as well as a video/data projector and microphone for large screen projection learning. The video/data projector allows for demonstration at the bedside to be projected onto the large screen for movie-theatre type visibility! Projection connections are provided for tying laptop computers, iPods, or other external devices into the room’s high resolution presentation system.
