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UL nursing school recognized for simulation program

Posted at 5:36 PM, Jun 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-07 18:36:48-04

UL’S nursing program is getting recognition for its training program.

The program teaches students bedside manner and how to make a diagnosis to help prepare them for seeing actual patients. 

The lifelike mannequins act as patients. 

"They have a very high level of realism. The mannequins can do do almost anything that a real patient can do," Department Head of Nursing Lisa Broussard said.  "They have heart sounds, breath sounds and bowel sounds. We can simulate a total shock experience." 

It’s part of their simulation program that’s been around for nearly 15 years. However, this year the program has earned a global seal of approval. 

"There’s a national body called the Society for Simulation and Health Care. They granted us full simulation for our program. We are one of the few nursing simulation programs in the region," Broussard said. 

The accreditation took several years and included evaluations of the program. UL has eight simulation labs. Instructors have a microphone that they can use to act as the patients and make them talk.
     
The new approval helps them to become more competitive.

"It puts the seal of approval and seal of quality on our program. It’s something that we decided to pursue," Broussard said.  "Certain scenarios that they wouldn’t be able to ever experience in clinical, but that are really very important. We use it to introduce them to things that they may not see in the clinical setting."