Old Westbury, NY – New York Institute of Technology health and medical administrators celebrated the opening of a new high-fidelity simulation lab for the department of nursing yesterday, praising the facility as an essential component of the nursing curriculum.

The lab in the 500 Building is set up as a hospital room with high-tech, programmable adult and infant mannequins that breathe, bleed, and respond to nursing interventions. Wall-mounted monitors track blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels for students learning about patient care and emergency situations. Faculty members operate and program the mannequins from a corner control room, where they design scenarios behind one-way mirrors and observe the reactions and work of student teams.

"The new nursing lab helps our students gain hand-on, real-world professional experience, strengthening their skills and familiarity with the conditions they will encounter in hospital and home care settings," said School of Health Professions Dean Patricia Chute, Ed.D. "We expect our students and their future patients will benefit from our enhanced clinical education and technological capacity."

With stethoscopes draped around their necks, students Ryan Filippi, Tiffany Thammavongsa, Djimmitry Jeanlouis and Yossary Garcia, moved along the bedsides of the mannequin-patients, feeling for pulses and monitoring vital signs. When Lab and Simulation Coordinator Lisa Sparacino, M.S.,RN, programmed a problem, Jeanlouis quickly grabbed an Ambu bag and began manual resuscitation.

"I can't imagine that anyone experiencing this will not come out a stronger nurse in the future," said NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., flanked by administrators as he cut a ribbon to officially open the facility. "This is the model of what will come in the workplace."

"This lab demonstrates the nursing department's academic leadership in preparing students with new models of education for the future," said Vice President for Health Sciences and Medical Affairs Barbara Ross-Lee, DO, who joined the ceremony via telephone from an out-of-state medical conference.

The nursing students said the lab challenges them to go beyond their traditional classroom, lecture, and textbook education as they prepare to join the workforce.

"You actually get to deal with real-life experiences," Jeanlouis said. "This simulation lab serves as a tool to increase our knowledge."

Department of Nursing Chair Susan Neville, Ph.D., RN, said students at all levels in the department's nursing program have already started to use the lab.

"I'm thrilled we have the opportunity to bring state of the art learning experiences into the day-to-day practices of our students," said Neville.

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 13,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, nearly 95,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Elaine Iandoli
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