ORU Nursing Students Use High Tech Tools To Gain Real-Life Experience

Nursing students at Oral Roberts University are delving into the simulated world. They're now learning in a new simulation lab the school recently renovated. Students and faculty say it's a win-win for the program and future patients.

Students at ORU's Anna Vaughn College of Nursing are as close as they can get to learning in a real environment. They're reviving a cardiac arrest patient in a hospital setting using real equipment. The only difference is the patient is a simulator.

"I love the simulated environment. I'm such a tactile and hands-on and visual learner," said Alli Blum, nursing student.

The school just renovated this space to create two life-like hospital rooms -- complete with a gurney, crash-cart, patient monitors and anything else found in an actual hospital room.

"We were running out of space. Our program has been growing immensely, which we are very excited about and we were just constantly double-booking our rooms," said Sharon Willis, Sim Lab Coordinator.

They also made room for this instructional area -- and have more high-tech plans in store.

"We will have a video camera that comes down and it will be able to zoom in on whatever skill we are performing on the mannequin and then it will project on the smart board so students can all see the details," Willis said.

Students are currently learning on a medication dispenser, and newer, more advanced sim-men will arrive soon that can mimic more real-life patient scenarios.

"You feel so much more confident and you are able to know what to do instead of just having that book knowledge and not actually have that hands-on," Blum said.

Alli says this safe-setting for students, results in better care for patients. ORU expects to receive the new sim-men and the video cameras for the instructional area by the end of the semester. They hope to go live with everything next semester.