Fitchburg State University’s nursing simulation laboratory will receive $100,000 worth of improvements thanks to a grant from the George I. Alden Trust.
The funds will support the purchase of essential technical equipment that will assist nursing students in learning critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in preparation for their healthcare careers.
University President Richard S. Lapidus said the Alden Trust funds will enhance the capacity of Fitchburg State’s simulation lab, including an upgraded audio-visual system and related programming for its “manikins,” as the lifelike patient simulators are known.
The investment will allow students to enhance their clinical skills at a time when the ongoing pandemic is making it harder for students to find clinical placements. Fitchburg State’s existing simulation lab remains in use, but will be enhanced and expanded over the next two years.
“In these unprecedented times, the university continues to provide life-transforming educational leadership to the communities in North Central Massachusetts,” Lapidus said. “This project will positively impact our students and the thousands of lives that our nurses will care for in the future. We are extremely grateful to the Alden Trust for their investment in ensuring our students continue to have access to the best training and equipment available.”