UConn’s School of Nursing Opens Simulation Laboratory in Stamford

The University of Connecticut School of Nursing is celebrating the opening of its new nursing simulation lab in Stamford with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

Located close to UConn’s Stamford campus at 1351 Washington Boulevard, the simulation laboratory will provide Fairfield County nursing students with easy access to advanced clinical nursing simulation equipment in order to enhance their nursing knowledge and skills.

Previously, nursing students in the Fairfield County had to travel to UConn’s campuses in Waterbury or Storrs to take part in important simulated clinical activities. The new simulation lab was made possible through the generous donations and support of three area hospitals: Stamford Hospital, Norwalk Hospital, and Greenwich Hospital. The hospitals contributed more than $250,000 to the UConn program and helped arrange space for the new lab.

“UConn’s School of Nursing has an exceptional reputation for training high-quality nurses. Stamford Hospital is proud to partner with UConn to provide educational resources closer to home for area nursing students,” says Debra Hernandez, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Stamford Hospital.

The new laboratory will enhance UConn’s Master’s Entry Into Nursing program, which began its first dedicated classes in Stamford this month.

UConn’s Master’s Entry Into Nursing program is designed for individuals who have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and wish to pursue a career in nursing. The program allows students to become eligible to take the RN licensure exam after the successful completion of a calendar year of coursework.

UConn School of Nursing dean Anne Bavier said support from area hospitals is a key to the Master’s Entry Into Nursing program’s success.

“Our hospital partners are critical to the program because they understand the workplace needs,” she says. “That knowledge allows us to direct our attention to preparing nurses who focus on what the patients and clients need the most: critical thinkers who bring nursing care to the bedside.”

UConn’s nursing simulation labs allow students to learn how to diagnose, treat, and respond to medical conditions and patient emergencies in a safe and supervised environment without any threat to human life. Using state-of-the-art computer equipment and advanced technology lifelike mannequins, the students are exposed to a variety of serious health conditions they will experience in actual clinical settings.

The Jan. 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 8 a.m. at the laboratory at 1351 Washington Boulevard, Stamford.

The University of Connecticut School of Nursing is Connecticut’s largest nursing program, graduating more than 200 individuals prepared for entry into basic nursing each year. The University’s Board of Trustees recently approved the construction of a $14 million expansion of the School of Nursing in Storrs that will include more clinical examination rooms, a large lecture hall, a case-study room, and individual exam rooms, in recognition of the demand and popularity of the program. The School of Nursing’s popular Master’s Entry Into Nursing program receives 150 applications a year and 86 program graduates are now working in hospitals nationwide.