Mennonite College of Nursing awarded IBHE grant

Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing was selected as one of 12 Illinois nursing colleges to receive the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) FY24 Nursing School Grant Program award. The grant will provide $148,847 to purchase equipment and supplies for the simulation lab programs.

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The grant funds will allow for the purchase of equipment and supplies in light, medium, and dark skin tones. The various skin-toned equipment will augment existing lab experiences in the skills and health assessment courses offered in the first semester, which is the most critical time for student retention and success.

“The grant aims to expand MCN’s simulation lab with equipment and supplies that are more representative of patient populations, help meet the demands of an increasing nursing student enrollment, and facilitate growth in the college on the Normal campus and at its Springfield location,” said Patricia Pence, Ed.D., MSN, RN, CNE, associate professor at MCN.

A needs assessment conducted within the college revealed that additional equipment and supplies were needed to manage the projected growth of student enrollment. In addition to needing more supplies, most of the manikins and body part trainers resembled patients with light skin tones.

As a part of the grant, a research study will be done after the new manikins and body part trainers are implemented in the simulation lab. The study will explore the perceptions of undergraduate nursing students and faculty regarding their experiences. Additionally, recent nurse graduates will be interviewed regarding their experiences in the simulation lab, the impact of their simulation experiences on managing patient care in their current nursing practice, and potential improvements to prepare future students for nursing practice. The data from recent nurse graduates of the nursing program will reveal the level at which existing simulation lab experiences prepared them for managing patient care and identify potential areas for improvement. The results will expand the limited body of nursing literature on the use of various skin-toned manikins and body part trainers in simulation labs.

Nursing colleges across the country are being challenged to offset a documented national nursing shortage by increasing the number of students prepared to enter the registered nurse workforce. Mennonite College of Nursing is stepping up to this challenge and is enhancing the quality of the college’s already high-caliber programs by adding simulation and active labs to the curriculum.