VUSN houses a center for achieving and advancing skills in nursing science in a student-forward environment. From the acquisition of tactical skills to the application of progressing clinical reasoning, students are able to explore in a setting that is safe to grow and develop their nursing foundations. This space allows for students to be exposed to a variety of challenges in current health care settings through high-fidelity simulation and augmented or virtual reality environments. Students have the opportunity to test clinical reasoning and tactical skill that may not be experienced during their intensive training. From foundation refinement to specialty-specific competency building, the lab is a robust learning environment.
Opened in January 2019, the space consists of 13 bays equipped with the latest technology in simulation capture, advanced manikin simulators, and a variety of skill task trainers. Scenarios are brought to life by faculty working behind the scenes in “control rooms” who manage the variables consistent with diagnostic patterns for the application of knowledge, reasoning and skills. Each simulation session has three primary parts: prebrief, scenario, and debrief. During prebrief, students are prepped with learning objectives, scenario back story, and general participant expectations. With the help of suspended disbelief, the scenario and environment allow for the students to care for a person in the clinical setting. The scenario may be recorded or broadcast to students in classrooms for observation. At the end of the scenario, participants gather for a debriefing of the event. This allows for student-led deeper learning, discussion and reflection.
Simulation is a team sport, as is health care. The current simulation team consists of simulation nurses, simulation researcher, simulation technician, and a lab director. The team is guided by the standards set forth by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. The team is dedicated to advancing the mission, vision, and values of the school and its students.