A look inside UNI’s new home for nursing
The first-ever cohort of UNI Bachelor of Science in Nursing students will begin coursework this fall in a newly-renovated area of the Innovative Teaching and Technology Center (ITTC). The first completed phase of the project is the result of a nearly $5 million investment, funded through a combination of gifts, grants and donations supported by university funds.
“The idea was to create much more intensive, experiential learning environments where the students combine lecture, practice and then execution all in one seamless environment,” said Phil Simpson, UNI’s project manager for the renovation.
Students will have the ability to administer IVs, check vital signs, conduct CPR and more on lifelike manikins that blink, breathe and cough. Some of the manikins are equipped with computers, microphones and speakers to simulate scenarios nurses can expect to encounter with future patients. Students will also be able to work with real people who pose as patients.
The integrated environment allows students to practice skills quickly after learning concepts, providing a hands-on environment to be practice-ready by the time they graduate, able to think critically, take care of multiple patients and have a higher level of function than the average novice nurse.
UNI developed its dedicated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program as a direct response to the demand for nurses in Iowa, where there are currently more than 8,000 nurse vacancies online according to UNI Chief Academic Nursing Administrator Nancy Kertz. Because the majority of UNI students are from Iowa and the majority remain in the state after graduation, UNI is expertly positioned to help meet this need.