The McLean Contributionship has awarded Cabrini University a $37,010 grant to support the development of one of the technologically rich, high-fidelity suites within its Clinical Simulation Center (CSC), an innovative learning environment being created for the University’s new Nursing program.
Cabrini’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will welcome its inaugural cohort this fall, combining the academic rigor, faculty expertise, and experiential learning of the University’s highly regarded science program with a core curriculum based on social justice, leadership development, and health equity.
“We are grateful to the McLean Contributionship, which shares Cabrini’s commitment to the education of promising young people, for this important support to equip our new Clinical Simulation Center,” said University President Donald B. Taylor, PhD.
To be housed in the Antoinette Iadarola Center for Science, Education, and Technology on campus, the CSC will broaden the knowledge and proficiencies Nursing students garner in the classroom and during off-campus experiences by providing additional experiential learning. The grant will provide necessary equipment to simulate real-life scenarios, helping Nursing students conceptualize the effects of illness and injury while they learn to effectively treat patients using the technology they will encounter in health care settings.
“With the support from the McLean Contributionship, our Clinical Simulation Center will be equipped to provide our Nursing students with technology and space for authentic, experiential learning on the University’s campus,” said Jennifer Specht, PhD, RN, Founding Director of Cabrini’s Nursing program. “The individual and collaborative experiences students will have in the Center will enhance their clinical judgment and complement their experiences with our clinical partners.”
As the state-of-the-art CSC optimizes students’ ability to refine clinical skills and become confident, collaborative leaders in nursing practice, the marketability of Cabrini’s Nursing graduates for future employment will increase. Cabrini’s Nursing program begins at a time when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects remarkable growth for the nursing profession—up 15% from 2016 to 2026.