Mount Wachusett Community College opens upgraded nursing lab

Photo | Courtesy of Mount Wachusett Community College Mount Wachusett Community College campus in Gardner

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By Isabel Tehan

Mount Wachusett Community College has opened its nursing simulation lab expansion, providing students with more hands-on experience in clinical settings.

The Gardner community college received $500,000 in funding for the lab in 2022 as part of a state government initiative to address workforce challenges.

“Of all the challenges we face, the one that is in our control is the staffing shortage, and the Mount has continually stepped up to deliver quality professionals to fill the roles that are so important to both our health and our quality of life here in Central Massachusetts,” Rep. Jon Zlotnik (D-Worcester) said in a Thursday press release.

The lab includes pediatric and maternity simulations in a mock hospital setting, as well as home-care elements for student practice. The lab is intended to give students more equitable access to simulated clinical settings.

“Through the use of high-fidelity simulation, MWCC’s nursing students now have the ability to practice hands-on clinical skills they may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience in the traditional clinical setting,” Kimberly Shea, dean of nursing and health sciences at MWCC, said in the press release.

The state initiative to invest in nursing training has also included a $1 million grant to Anna Maria College in Paxton and $500,000 to Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. In 2020, Fitchburg State University received a similarly-targeted $100,000 private grant.