Nursing Simulation Lab and Skills Training
As a student in Harding University’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program, you’ll learn critical nursing concepts as part of the online component of our ABSN curriculum; however, you need hands-on experience to become a confident nurse.
You’ll gain that experience during nursing simulation labs and skills training, an important aspect of the ABSN nursing track. Nursing simulation and skills labs allow students to practice real patient care scenarios in a safe environment.
Together with instructors and classmates, you’ll work on developing your nursing skills and clinical judgment using high-tech medical manikins and health care equipment at our ABSN site in Rogers, Arkansas. You’ll also gain confidence in your critical nursing skills before performing them in a real-world health care environment during clinical rotations.
Nursing Skills Lab
In skills labs, you will apply what you’ve learned in the ABSN online coursework to hands-on practice. Our accelerated BSN skills labs emulate a hospital setting with all the same state-of-the-art medical equipment and supplies. You’ll also utilize realistic medical manikins, eliminating the fear of harming a human patient while learning.
In this facility, you will apply the nursing theory knowledge learned from the ABSN online coursework to master various nursing skills, such as:
- Complete head-to-toe assessment
- Nasogastric (NG) tube insertion
- Blood pressure and heart rate monitoring
- Wound care
- Catheterization
Nursing Simulation Lab
Another key element of our hands-on curriculum is putting practiced nursing skills into action during nursing simulation labs. Simulation labs offer a risk-free environment for students to explore patient care scenarios that challenge their critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills.
During the ABSN program, students assume the role of nurses at the bedside, engaging in mock clinical scenarios that focus on specific learning objectives. As a result, students learn how to exercise critical thinking, problem solve and communicate on the job.
During this portion of your ABSN education, the goal isn’t to get everything perfect the first time. Instead, a nursing simulation lab is a safe space to make mistakes and learn from them.
Each simulation is followed by debriefing sessions with instructors and classmates, during which you reflect on the experience and learn without judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are nursing simulation labs?
Nursing simulation labs simulate clinical scenarios that students may encounter during clinical rotations or their future careers. They build on what students learn in skills labs, requiring them to apply those skills to care for realistic medical manikins. After each simulation lab, students debrief with instructors to review the session.
Do ABSN students practice in simulation labs before clinicals?
Nursing skills and simulation labs will help prepare students for what they experience in clinicals. In the ABSN program, students begin clinical rotations in the first semester; however, they practice core skills and interventions in labs to prepare for these experiences. Students can also practice in the nursing labs outside of class hours to refine their skills.
What skills do students learn in simulation labs?
While skills labs focus primarily on developing clinical skills, simulation labs teach students to care for patients across a variety of clinical scenarios. In simulation labs, students will learn essential skills such as communication, critical thinking, teamwork and clinical judgment.
What is a high-fidelity simulation manikin?
High-fidelity manikins model human anatomy and physiology, and are a critical part of your nursing education and lab experiences. They can be controlled by your instructor and simulate realistic patient responses, such as breathing, verbal responses, allergic reactions and cardiac arrest.
Are simulation labs required in an ABSN program?
Yes, simulation and skills labs are a required ABSN curriculum component. Labs provide students with a training ground to practice core nursing skills, learn to work as a team and develop their clinical judgment in a safe environment.
For More Information
Request information to learn more about how our nursing simulation labs fit into the ABSN curriculum, preparing you for a solid nursing future.