MANKATO — Minnesota State University’s nursing program just got its shot in the arm.
In 2016, the program developed a simulation center to help train nursing students on high-risk situations in a low-risk environment. Besides a year off during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nursing Simulation Center has been going strong since its creation.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced it was awarding the program $216,670 for development of “a simulation-based training program targeting emergency department, advanced trauma and behavioral health skills for physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, emergency department technicians, security and ambulance personnel.”
“We have a pretty long-standing relationship with Mayo Clinic Health System and this grant is just another in a long line of collaborative partnerships,” said Kate Glogowski, MSU’s workforce simulation director.
The center’s purpose was redesigned following COVID to align more closely with what DEED was looking for in community partnerships as well as what was needed in the broader community, Glogowski said. This grant will help to continue to provide that critical instruction.
“The simulation allows the teams to build and refine their skills without putting patients at risk. That really is the key to simulation is that it allows for repeated, deliberate practice in a safe environment where individuals can feel comfortable to make mistakes without risking harm to the patient,” she said.
Glogowski added the simulation center doesn’t just help provide training for nurses, but for any number of medical care team members including, “physicians and advanced practice providers, nurse practitioners, nurses, EV tech, EMS or ambulance personnel and security staff.”
That training helps fill gaps in what’s an essential time for medical personnel.
“In healthcare, the ability to respond quickly and to communicate clearly and make sound decisions directly impact patient safety, and simulation is just really a valuable tool that gives teams the opportunity to practice those skills before they’re needed in real life,” Glogowski said. “Long story short, better prepared teams means safer care for every patient.”