Nursing Simulation Labs: Combining Online and Hands-on Learning

An important hands-on component of the Utica Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is the simulation lab experience that takes place at one of our program sites. In essence, it’s about as close to a real-life clinical situation as you can get.
Instructors designed this part of our curriculum to give students the opportunity to use real hospital equipment to “treat” medical manikins in a safe, risk-free environment that replicates a hospital setting. They involve three primary parts:
• Discussion and preparation for a specific clinical scenario
• Simulated clinical experience associated with the scenario
• Post-simulation debriefing session
This portion of the Utica ABSN curriculum serves an important purpose because it acts as a bridge between the nursing theory concepts students learn in their online coursework and the real-world experience they gain during clinical rotations.
Acting in the assigned roles from their nursing instructors - either patient, patient’s family member, nurse or doctor - students work together to develop and implement a care plan based on a particular learning objective without the risk of harming an actual patient.
Debriefing sessions with instructors and classmates after each simulation are another invaluable component of our accelerated nursing curriculum because they encourage open discussion of what went right and what went wrong in a trusting environment.
“It gives us the opportunity to really put that into practice in a safe environment where we all feel a little more comfortable trying things out for the first time,” says Jill, ABSN Class of April 2017.
Utica ABSN students outline how nursing simulation labs work in this video. If you want to learn more about the importance of hands-on learning experiences and see if you’re a good fit for the Utica ABSN program, reach out to us today.