Charleston, IL -(Effingham Radio)- The Coles Community Health Program (CCHP) Board of Directors, at the November 10 board meeting, has approved a $30,000 grant to the Lake Land College nursing program to enhance a simulation lab. This grant will be used for modular skills trainer, modern infusion pumps, and crash cart with defibrillators. Simulation laboratory education has become an essential component of nursing and first responder education.
“As the nature of healthcare continues to change, increased needs of simulation equipment have become a necessity to allow our nursing faculty to better prepare our students,” stated Dr. Josh Bullock, President of Lake Land College. “We are very thankful to the Coles Community Health Program for this grant and for their support of our program. As one of the best nursing programs in the state, Lake Land College is an integral partner in developing highly trained nurses to meet the healthcare needs of our communities.”
The Lake Land College nursing program includes 215 current students in both LPN and RN programs. “Faculty find simulation allows them to ensure all students are exposed to ‘patients’ with certain common health problems. The simulation lab creates a safe practice environment that allows students to make mistakes and learn from these mistakes and provides faculty with an additional method to evaluate critical thinking and skill performance. For simulation to be effective, it is key to have a realistic environment. During simulation, our lab areas become a Lake Land hospital. In addition to the nursing programs, the equipment will be used in the Medical Assistant and Emergency Medical Services/Paramedic curriculum. We are thankful for this opportunity to enhance these opportunities for students in our Allied Health programs,” according to Cheryl Beam, Director of Nursing Programs/Nursing Instructor.
“We are very pleased to be supporting the Simulation Laboratory to be part of the professional development of healthcare students in our community,” said Dr. Robert Good, President of the Coles Community Health Program and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. “Simulation will prepare students using both manikins and standardized patients for situations in the hospital, ambulatory setting, and home health care.”
The Coles Community Health Program was developed in 2008 to improve healthcare access for low-income citizens of Coles County. Since inception, the CCHP has established a Federally Qualified Clinic (Mattoon and Charleston Medical Center), supported a prediabetes program at the YMCA, and new programs at LifeLinks.
The Lake Land College nursing program was founded more than 30 years ago and is ranked among the top three programs in the state by Nursing Explorer in 2019. The program includes the Licensed Practical Nursing, Associate Degree Nurse (RN) and LPN to ADN Bridge programs. The college also works closely with several universities to offer a bachelor’s degree in nursing completion program, including a partnership with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing that allows a student to begin the BSN program while still at Lake Land College.
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