The Clinical Resource Center

Bemidji State University's Department of Nursing is proud to introduce the new Clinical Resource Center and coordinating clinical practice suites, due to open January, 2009.

The center is currently under construction in the lower level of Memorial Hall which will provide the core laboratory experiences for the 4-year nursing track students. Here, a simulation lab will present scenarios for students to work through  that closely resemble clinical experiences. They will debrief in adjacent seminar rooms and classrooms to help develop the critical thinking skills they will ultimately need to practice skillful professional nursing.

This project will include the purchase of basic simulation lab materials, Sim Man mannequins as well as a simulated pregnant woman that can deliver a baby! A Performance Lab within the Clinical Resource Center will provide the space and technology for students to demonstrate competence in conducting a variety of nursing skills and allow faculty to provide timely feedback.

Clinical Labs and Classrooms

The center will feature five Health Care Suites. Command Central, the innovative and progressive electronic medical record system that will be built into each of the care suites, will be housed in the Computer Lab. Our plan is for each suite to feature state of the art equipment and simulation aids to represent each specific specialty practice area. The suites will include:

Pediatric Suite 

This suite will allow students an opportunity to provide nursing care to children with a multitude of unique health problems. It is here where students will learn to recognize the impact that growth and development have on illness and disease processes as well as the importance of caring for the family unit.

Birthing Center Suite 

The miracle of birth will be simulated in this suite with Noelle © a female manikin that has the ability to experience the process of birth. Nurses will learn about prenatal, prepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care of mothers and their newborn infants. Experiences of both normal and high-risk pregnancy management (including clinical practice issues like gestational diabetes, multiples, hypertension, preeclampsia, abruption placenta) will be included in the students learning experiences.

Medical-Surgical Suite 

This suite is where the fundamental groundwork for all nursing care is developed. Here essential clinical and technical skills will be practiced and perfected prior to caring for actual clients/patients in the practice arena including all aspects of conducting a comprehensive health assessment, intravenous therapies, physical and respiratory therapies, medication administration, as well as all independent and collaborative nursing interventions.

Intensive Care Suite 

This suite will provide an opportunity for nursing students to assess and treat critically ill clients/patients including all aspects of life support. Nursing students will learn to care for clients/patients with multisystem failure addressing complex cardiac, respiratory, neurological, endocrine, and trauma care. Nursing students will learn more about coordinating and leading team resources in managing the care of clients/patients with multisystem health conditions.

Dr. Jeanine and Mr. Ron Gangeness Home Care Suite

In hospitals today, clients/patients are being admitted sicker than at any point in history and being discharged to their homes to recover, requiring the expertise of a home care nurse to support their recovery process. The Dr. Jeanine and Mr. Ron Gangeness Home Care suite is being planned to simulate a client's home environment, similar to the settings where Public Health nurses and Home Care nurses provide nursing care.