MMC Simulation Labs Set For Nursing Students
August 20, 2018
Mount Marty College’s (MMC) nursing students can expect top-of-the-line training this year thanks to upgrades to the Avera Science and Nursing Center.
The center’s 9,600-square-foot second floor underwent major renovations this past year to make room for new offices and nursing simulation labs to be used by staff and students. Walls were torn down and rooms were reconfigured to make this a reality.
The facility was previously known as the Old Library, in which numerous types of classes were held. With the remodel, the building will now be devoted solely to nursing-related courses.
Another new element to MMC’s nursing program is the creation of the Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences position. That went to Dr. Mary Anne Krogh, who had previously been director of the MMC Nurse Anesthesia program in Sioux Falls. She will continue to be an associate professor for that program and split her time between Sioux Falls and Yankton.
She said she is impressed with the level of technology that is being provided to the center, particularly in regards to the simulation labs.
“A simulation room has a glass divide where an instructor on the other side can control the simulation,” she explained. “The instructor can sit at a computer and make the simulator do all kinds of things.”
The labs also come with realistic dummies that students will use to practice dealing with patients with a variety of medical issues, ranging from pregnancy to pneumonia.
“The lovely thing about simulation is that we can teach students things that they will rarely see in clinical, which will help them be more comfortable if an emergency comes up,” Krogh said.
The setup of the labs include a realistic clinic room, a hospital room and an assisted living apartment, giving the students an idea of what it would be like to work in those environments.
“We have the full gamut of nursing care experience in our sim center,” Krogh said. “This gives the students more confidence in their abilities to care for patients and grow as nurses.”
The second floor also has classrooms/meeting rooms with smartboards, which allow visuals to be projected onto a screen.
“Those will be very useful when (the instructors) are demonstrating skills,” Krogh said.
Read the rest of this story on the Yankton Press and Dakotan website.