Belmont University’s School of Nursing was recently recognized by Laerdal Medical Corporation, a leading provider of healthcare solutions and products, as a Center of Educational Excellence. The designation will apply for three years and is awarded to centers that have consistently demonstrated excellence in educational philosophy and programs for the purpose of “helping save lives,” Laerdal’s mission.
Centers selected for the award reflected consistent performance, a quality program and a commitment to continual improvement. In addition, centers were required to demonstrate basic skills excellence, simulation methodology, community outreach, curriculum development and integration and educational research progress. In addition to Belmont’s School of Nursing, other centers recognized by Laerdal this year include Simms Medical Center (Harvard), University of Miami Gordon Center for Simulation, Texas A&M Temple Center for Simulation, University of Texas Arlington School of Nursing, University of Maryland Medical Simulation Laboratory, University of Pittsburg Wiser Institute of Simulation, Oregon Health and Science University and Hartford Hospital Simulation Center.
Dr. Chris L. Algren, professor and associate dean of the School of Nursing as well as executive director of Partners in Nursing, said, “The Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing is honored to receive this new designation and have this continuing partnership with Laerdal. We will continue to share in the company’s mission while teaching faculty, nursing students and other healthcare workers in an environment which provides outstanding products and simulation resources. By integrating simulation learning throughout the nursing curriculum, this partnership will assist us in providing current and future healthcare providers with the critical thinking skills needed to meet the demands of complex and changing health care settings.”
Belmont’s state-of-the-art nursing labs, which have been heavily supported by grants provided by The Memorial Foundation, are equipped with human patient simulators, digitalized video, bedside computer charting, electronic supply scanning and static mannequins. The labs are designed to reproduce realistic practice settings, including the basic hospital unit, critical care, surgical/operating suite, pediatrics, neonatal nursery, maternity, home care, health assessment and diagnostic labs. All lab spaces are also outfitted with tables and chairs for reflective thinking exercises that allow the students time to review their decisions and actions with the instructor and their classmates. To view a video presentation of Belmont’s nursing lab space, click here.
Laerdal Medical is a company dedicated to helping save lives with products for CPR training, airway management, advanced life support training, spinal motion restriction, trauma training, monitoring, defibrillation and patient simulation made for using traditional basic, intermediate and advanced training techniques combined with micro-simulation and virtual reality.
