Inside the Bryant & Stratton College campus in Greece large windows frame the new nursing lab. The room is set up like a lecture hall, but with state-of-the-art technology, including adult and pediatric simulation dolls and equipment, spread around it.
Officials said the new facility reinforces Bryant and Stratton’s “continued commitment to preparing the next generation of skilled, compassionate nurses.”
“Simulation really ensures that our students are both clinical practice and workforce ready,” said Nicole Riemer, nursing program director at the Greece campus. “It really brings that tie between theory and practice together.”
Riemer said within the new lab the students will be able to train for various real-world scenarios like pediatric emergencies, childbirth, IV administration, and cardiac arrest.
“It's a safe environment for them to really build those skills and it gives them more of an advanced opportunity,” she said.
Bryant & Stratton's campuses in Greece and Henrietta have offered the nursing program for four years.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing anticipates that as the population ages the shortage of registered nurses will intensify. Officials anticipate that the new lab will help recruit more nursing students and as a result alleviate the health care system’s shortage.
“We're very thankful not only to have the opportunity to enroll in the program, but to be able to graduate students and fill those voids out in our local community,” said Michael Mariani, director of the college's Rochester-area campuses.
Tuesday marked the grand opening of the simulation lab and the beginning of National Nurses week.
