New Nursing Simulation Lab Open for Education

Bradley University celebrated the opening of its new high-fidelity multi-patient nursing simulation lab with a ceremonial ribbon cutting Friday, Sept. 29 in the Markin Family Student Recreation Center in Peoria.

This new $850,000 simulation lab will allow Bradley nursing students to access the use of high-fidelity nursing manikins that will provide medically immersive, life-like simulated medical scenarios in a controlled environment. Experiential learning like this has proven to decrease adverse patient events, such as medication errors.

“The rapidly changing advancements in medical technology have resulted in the need for more sophisticated and complex diagnoses and treatments by nurses. Today’s nurses must be trained to react to the increasing high-pressure clinical challenges in real time, and utilizing the best technology available,” said Dr. Jessica Clark, Dean of Bradley University’s College of Education and Health Sciences.  “The expanded simulation opportunities here are going to allow our students to have access to high-fidelity manikins that will provide medically immersive, real-life medical scenarios in a controlled environment led by our expert nursing educators. This allows our students to improve the complexity of their nursing skills, which is often associated with decreasing adverse patient events, and that’s pretty remarkable.”

The new nursing simulation lab was made possible by funding secured by Senator Dick Durbin, as part of the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill.

This investment will also allow Bradley University to provide nurse simulation training for local high school students at Manual High School and Peoria (Central) High School, which are part of the Peoria Public Schools system. Students will be invited to participate in a targeted early-learning program using the simulation lab. Bradley anticipates inviting 50-75 students from these high schools on an annual basis. The first ever health care immersion day is scheduled for Oct. 19, and according to Dr. Clark, students are ready to take part.

“We are beyond excited about the response from area high schools. We received an overwhelming 93 nominations for just 26 coveted spots for the first event,” said Dr. Jessica Clark, Dean of Bradley University’s College of Education and Health Sciences. “Not only will we show them that Bradley University has a lot to offer within its nationally ranked programs, but more importantly, we hope to educate and inspire our local talent to complete their education in their own backyard and stay in the greater Peoria area post-graduation to help fill health care shortages locally.”

As one of Bradley's top majors, its nursing program has gained a strong state and national reputation for developing workforce-ready graduates who consistently score above state and national averages for first-time pass rates of the NCLEX-RN. The high-fidelity multi-patient nursing simulation lab will help the Bradley nursing community stay on that track.

–Libby Derry