By: Matthew Johnson
Gardner-Webb University’s Hunt School of Nursing, one of the most challenging nursing programs in North Carolina, is expanding its program by utilizing its new facility to further nursing education.
The facility opened its doors on the first day of classes on Aug. 19. The new facility, formerly the Crawley Memorial Hospital, hosts four simulation rooms with observation rooms and two large labs. The nursing school has also upgraded its equipment, such as mannequins, for students to use in their practices. The new rehabilitation track is still being constructed. When completed, it will allow students to practice with real patients on their needed rehab exercises.
A system called Learning Space allows for the classes to be video and audio recorded in the simulation rooms. These can be used as future teaching aids. The University has hired Becky Threatt as the CHS Simulation Coordinator and Instructor of health sciences. She is in control of the simulation rooms when students are occupying them.
The new facility allowed the three nursing programs–Davis Nursing (RN-BSN), Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice–to be in the same building. Before the opening of the new nursing facility, different classes within the programs were conducted in various buildings across campus.
Dr. Sharon Starr, Dean of the Hunt School of Nursing is happy to be using the new facility.
“It is easier to walk to the offices and see everybody. It allows us all to be in one building. We used to be in about four places,” said Starr.
The nursing programs have nearly 700 students currently enrolled. The program focuses its nursing education on a Christ centered outlook.
Gardner-Webb’s new nursing facility marks the beginning of future hopes for further growth and success of the program.
