MWCC receives $500,000 state grant to upgrade nursing simulation lab

GARDNER — The Mount Wachusett Community College health science labs and simulation center is where students practice nursing skills in a safe environment on simulated patients and the $500,000 awarded grant will enable the nursing department to expand student access to such educational tools, Dean of Nursing Dr. Kim Shea said

"The simulation center is a place where students can come and practice nursing skills in a safe environment on simulated patients," Dr. Kim Shea, dean of nursing, said. "Through simulation, students can engage in diverse clinical experiences that they may not have access to in the traditional clinical practicum setting."

Shea said the Skills Capital grant allows the nursing department to expand the access that students have to these valuable education tools.

"What the grant also does is offers us the opportunity to give more diverse experiences to a larger amount of students," Shea said. "What we need is to update the equipment mannequins because traditionally all of the mannequins are white skinned and we need to expand these simulation mannequins with a more diverse population.

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The equipment upgrades will be finalized by late December and it will be ready for students use by early in the spring semester.

"Through simulation, students can engage in diverse clinical experiences that they may not have access to in the traditional clinical practicum setting," Shea said. "The equipment that we are updating and replacing will promote a more inclusive and safe learning environment for students."

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: MWCC gets $500,000 grant to upgrade health sciences lab