Jewell Nursing Department receives grant for updating facilities

Thanks to a $98,560 grant from the Victor E. Speas Foundation of Kansas City, the William Jewell College Department of Nursing has updated its facilities with a technology-equipped presentation/training/testing center and additional healthcare training equipment. 

“This new facility benefits not only the students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Jewell, but healthcare professionals in surrounding communities as well,” said Dr. Nelda Godfrey, chair of the Department of Nursing at William Jewell.

The Speas Foundation’s gift helps William Jewell address one of the most critical needs in nursing education, Godfrey said. According to the Institute of Medicine’s 2001 report, Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality, “doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals are not being prepared to provide the highest quality and safest medical care possible, and there is insufficient assessment of their proficiency.”  The panel recommended that “educators . . . should ensure that students and working professionals develop and maintain proficiency in five core areas:  delivering patient-centered care, working as part of interdisciplinary teams, practicing evidence-based medicine, focusing on quality improvement, and using information technology.”

The new Nursing Arts Laboratory and Academic Technology Center includes a conference area that allows for small group learning. It is equipped with a variety of health care simulation devices and a clinical practice area that provides space for groups of two to four students to participate in hands-on learning at multiple stations. The laboratory includes two exam rooms that provide privacy for assessment training and skills competency testing.

The new Nursing Commons is a meeting place for students equipped with six computer work-stations as well as wireless access capabilities. The commons is open to nursing students 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and also includes an area displaying scholarship opportunities and nursing publications.