Health care reform means new demands on nursing school
November
17, 2009 -- As
the U.S. Congress moves toward reform of the health care system and more
people gain access to health insurance coverage, the need for highly
trained medical professionals is expected to increase. In California,
the demand for nurses with baccalaureate and higher degrees continues
to grow and is expected to escalate with healthcare reform and changing
population demographics.
A $329,670 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration, authorized by the U.S. Congress, will enable the SF State School of Nursing to update its Technology Learning Classrooms, which provide students with practical training and exercises in critical thinking.
Congresswoman Jackie Speier was instrumental in obtaining
the authorization.
The School of Nursing’s Technology Learning Classrooms are where students
can practice their skills in a simulated clinical setting. Rooms of hospital
beds and up-to-date medical equipment are also home to patient simulators,
computerized mannequins that can be programmed to present a variety of health
problems. Emergency care events such as cardiac arrest can be programmed
in the mannequins to give nursing students experience that might not occur
during their required clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics. Undergraduate
and graduate nursing students also have the opportunity to hone their skills
on the latest in health monitoring technology.
In addition to the simulation technology are cameras, recording devices and
playback equipment that allow students to review and analyze their reactions
and decisions during exercises with the simulators.
"Technological advances in health care and education have revolutionized
nursing education," said Shirley Girouard, director of the School of Nursing. "This
federal support will allow the School to be part of the revolution and prepare
nurses with the competencies now demanded in the workplace."
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