AURORA – Aurora University is seeking nearly $800,000 in federal assistance to double the capacity in the School of Nursing Simulation Lab and to buy more diverse computer-programmed manikins so students have more than white males to practice on.

In other words, nursing students currently practice real-world scenarios on computer-programmed white male manikins that exhibit various medical conditions. Officials at the private university in Aurora want the manikins to reflect the diverse types of patients students will care for in the community, the release stated.

The majority of grant and matching funds – about $1.6 million – will pay for construction costs to expand the simulation lab.

As the COVID-19 pandemic limited essential in-person learning experiences for nursing students, the Simulation Lab provides safe training, Nursing Dean Pamela Taylor stated in the release.

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

The lab operates six days a week, offering a variety of patient scenarios – such as a post-operative patient who is older, or a hospice patient who decided to stop cancer treatment, the release stated.

Each 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 stated in the release. “It is during the debrief that students can learn from their mistakes and get better.”

The manikins are capable of providing real-life patient scenarios, Aurora University Simulation Laboratory Coordinator/Assistant Professor Georgine Maisch stated in the release.

“They are programmed to be as realistic as possible,” Maisch stated in the release. “We also utilize realistic spaces to enhance the learning experience. 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 Simulation Lab at Aurora University was an important learning tool for student nurses before COVID-19, but it became an indispensable tool during the pandemic, the release stated.

“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.”

Currently, 767 students are enrolled in Aurora University’s bachelor of science in nursing degree, which is 21.4% of its total undergraduate population. Of those students, 43% are Latinex.

In 2019, 94% of the Aurora University’s nursing students passed a nationwide examination for the licensing of registered nurses.

The NCLEX exam was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to test the competency of nursing school graduates in the U.S. According to its website, www.ncsbn.org, the national council is a nonprofit whose U.S. members include the nursing regulatory bodies in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories.

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, the release stated.

“Our faculty goes the extra mile to help students be successful,” Taylor stated in the release. “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.”