UTA opens modern facility to better train future nurses

Arlington – The state of Texas faces critical shortage of qualified nursing candidates in recent years, a problem that has become more evident since the start of the pandemic. In effort to combat this serious issue, the University of Texas at Arlington opened modern and innovative facility to better train healthcare students, Dallas Metro News reported.

According to the details given by UTA officials, the 150,000-square-foot building will have cutting-edge technology that is expected to provide state-of-the-art training to social work and nursing students.

"I think it's important for students to understand a sense of urgency, and that comes back to us making the situation as real as possible," said Jennifer Roye, the assistant dean for simulation and technology at the UTA College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

In the modern medical facility known as a Smart Hospital, an array of authentic equipment and a plethora of sophisticated medical robots impeccably mimic real patients in both appearance and sound. These innovative robots can be tailored to simulate an extensive range of medical scenarios, encompassing everything from cardiac arrest to the complexities of childbirth.

Emerging medical professionals are afforded the opportunity to hone their expertise in a controlled environment, executing critical procedures such as intravenous insertion, catheter implementation, and even administering defibrillation to the strikingly lifelike mannequins, thereby fostering confidence and dexterity in the nascent stages of their careers.

Working with mannequins will help students to better adapt to clinic environment, while VR headsets will bring the whole experience to another level. In addition, there will be special spaces dedicated to in-home services practice where future medical personnel can train hospice care or a child welfare check. According to professors, this type of practice will help students overcome intense situations that can be pretty problematic especially in the beginning of students' future careers.

UTA's College of Nursing and Health Innovation is the No. 1 producer of nurses in Texas and one of the largest nursing programs in the nation. Their School of Social Work is the largest program in the state.

Thanks to Dallas Metro for providing more details about the story.