SPOKANE, Wash. – Mobile healthcare apps. Lifelike, interactive patient manikins. Software algorithms measuring patient’s physical, mental and social well-being. These are examples of tools and approaches nurse educators will cover at the Seventh Annual National League for Nursing (NLN) Technology Conference Oct. 19-21 at the Washington State University College of Nursing in Spokane, Wash.
The conference will feature nationally and internationally recognized speakers who will enhance nurse educators’ understanding of technology available to them in today’s healthcare and higher education environments. Simulation, e-learning, telehealth and the integration of informatics into curricula will be covered.
Leader in simulation
For the past five to ten years, WSU College of Nursing has been building its technology and simulation repertoire, incorporating it into nursing research and academic programs. Students have access to state-of-the-art clinical practice and simulation labs; faculty have expertise using new technology and staging practice scenarios; and college researchers are taking part in a national study that will identify the ideal mix of simulation and clinical training needed to best prepare future nurses.
“Our goal is to become a national destination for clinical simulation,” said Patricia Butterfield, dean of the college. “Being selected to host this conference acknowledges the progress we’ve made incorporating the latest technology and simulation pedagogy into nursing students’ and scholars’ education. We’re building a strong foundation as a leader in simulation, which we believe helps to better prepare nursing students for the challenging situations they will face in practice.”
In September 2010, WSU College of Nursing doctoral student Janet Willhaus was selected as the nursing scholar in residence for the NLN to advance the use of simulation in nursing education, including efforts to increase faculty development in simulation program offerings. Willhaus moved to New York for one year to complete this work.
“It’s scholars like Willhaus and her passion for simulation which help us to afford these opportunities for the college,” said Butterfield.
Helping shape the future of nursing
Patient simulation is a cornerstone of the pre-licensure bachelor of science in nursing program, with students simulating experiences that mimic what they can expect to face in practice. Heart attacks, labor and delivery, and end-of-life patient care are some of the scenarios students experience in the college’s simulation and practice lab – a safe environment in which they can actively learn. Students have opportunities to work with counterparts in pharmacy, medicine, dental and other allied programs located at WSU Spokane in the simulation lab.
While simulation is commonly built into nursing education, not all faculty at universities know how to use the technology or prepare scenarios. The college was selected to participate as one of 10 universities nationwide in the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) landmark study of simulation use in pre-licensure nursing programs. The study, which launched in September 2011, is monitoring the clinical performance of incoming WSU nursing students from their first day of nursing school through graduation and into their first year of practice.
“The NCSBN recognized that we had the support of leadership, the technology (manikins), new facilities and a large student body to recruit from,” said Kevin Stevens, clinical simulation lab director. “Other criteria included being a nationally accredited program, having good NCLEX (nurse licensing test) pass rates and high graduation rates. It’s exciting to say that we’re one of the first universities that will help shape the future of what nursing education might look like based on the findings.”
About the college
Founded in 1968, the WSU College of Nursing educates more than 1,000 students each year, one of the largest educators of nurses on the West Coast. The college is headquartered at the WSU Health Science campus in Spokane and has sites at Vancouver, Tri-Cities, Yakima and Walla Walla. Degrees offered include the BSN (to both pre- and post-licensure RNs), MN, PhD and DNP. The college is active in research, supporting the healthcare needs of rural communities and providing students with interprofessional and simulated hands-on learning experiences.