The Arkansas Community Health & Education Foundation recently agreed to provide $32,000 to fund a patient simulator for UALR’s Department of Nursing.

Jeff Carmack, an assistant professor and UALR SimLab Director, expressed gratitude to the foundation for the funding, which he said will help faculty continue to deliver quality simulation-based learning experiences to the students in the nursing program.

“The department is fortunate to have had our existing simulator since 2006, but it was nearing the end of its life cycle,” said Carmack.

Gus Vratsinas of the ACHEF notified the department in early December that the foundation had awarded the money to assist with the replacement of a high-fidelity patient simulator.

The benefits of using high-fidelity simulators to train students are numerous, according to Carmack.

“Students feel that simulators allow them to perfect skills through repeated practice sessions, until they master that skill or task. High fidelity simulators also allow a very lifelike experience with a patient in a setting where there is little to no risk to the patient,” he said.

In addition, nurses and students may encounter situations that occur infrequently in their daily practice, but some of these encounters will have very high risks to the patient according to Carmack.

“Through the use of simulators, nurses can hone their response to these situations and be better prepared for a future in nursing,” he said.