The Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN) at Illinois State University was one of twelve Illinois nursing colleges awarded the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) FY23 Nursing School Grant Program. The grant will provide $148,847 to purchase equipment and supplies for the simulation lab programs.
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. MCN 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.
A needs assessment done within the college revealed 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.
“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.
The grant funds will allow for equipment and supplies to be purchased 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.
As a part of the grant, a research study will be conducted to explore the perceptions of undergraduate nursing students and faculty regarding their experiences after the new manikins and body part trainers are implemented in the simulation lab. 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.
Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University
Mennonite College of Nursing was established in 1919 and has over 100 years of rich nursing education experience. MCN was the first independent College of Nursing in the nation to be accredited by the National League for Nursing. On July 1, 1999, MCN joined Illinois State University as its sixth academic college. Founded in a rich tradition of nursing education as a former private college, Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing has maintained important traditions while transforming into an innovative, future-oriented program. During the past 20 years, the college has increased its undergraduate enrollment, added two sequences to the Master’s Program, and created a Doctoral Program that includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing and an online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), as well as an accelerated BSN option, and several certificate programs. To learn more, visit nursing.illinoisstate.edu.
