Welcome to the Nursing Resource Center (NRC)
Director: Debra Middleton, MSN, RN
Telephone: (260) 399-7700x8522
Email: dmiddleton@sf.edu

Mission of the Nursing Resource Center:
The Nursing Resource Center serves the nursing department at the University of Saint Francis to meet learning goals in a supportive and safe environment.

The Nursing Resource Center
The NRC is located on the main floor of the Doermer Family Center for Health Science Education. There are 3 patient care rooms; 2 are on the main floor and one is on the lower level next to the Center for Experiential Learning. These areas have a total capacity of 13 patient units. The NRC is on the main floor. It has one patient unit and 8 exam rooms. The NRC also has one study room and one conference room.

The NRC provides an environment where students learn some of the skills they will need in the practice of nursing. By learning and practicing these procedures and behaviors in the NRC before moving into a clinical setting with patients, students develop some familiarity and ease with these skills. The opportunity to gain familiarity with equipment and techniques in a non-threatening environment that simulates the clinical setting is a critical component of skill acquisition.

Associate degree, baccalaureate degree and graduate nursing students utilize the NRC. It is available to students to practice skills and for study. Videos and equipment can be checked out for use in the NRC. Graduate assistants and I are available to help you learn nursing skills.

Mid-fidelity human patient simulators are available for use in clinical lab simulations to help students learn to care for patients or develop some of the requisite nursing skills. The student can use these simulators for many procedures. Some of these are:

Ø      Vital signs

Ø      Assessments of

o       Heart tones

o       Lung sounds

o       Bowel sounds

o       Skin conditions

o       Some peripheral pulses

Ø      Hygiene care

Ø      Tracheotomy care

Ø      Suctioning of the airway

Ø      Insertion, care, and removal of nasogastric tubes

Ø      Insertion, care, and removal of urinary catheters

Ø      Enema administration

Ø      Breast exam

Ø      Wound care

Ø      Medication administration by various routes

Ø      Intravenous (IV) starts, care, and discontinuation

Ø      Administration of IV meds and fluids

Ø      Blood administration

These simulators have the capacity to interface with computer simulations that direct limited "patient" responses to care that is provided by the students. In this way, the student can learn in a safe environment the effects of provided care on the patient. With these simulators the students can also practice communication techniques, priority setting and decision-making.

If you need help with learning nursing math, the NRC is the place to come.

We hope in the coming year to meet/see you as you take advantage of the resources offered in the NRC.

updated 8-07