Nursing programs help develop students who are better prepared to enter the health care field by using patient simulators in the classroom. These simulators can be programmed to change blood pressure, breathing rate, symptoms, temperature and other body functions in response to the care a nursing student is providing. Instructors can allow nursing students to make errors that cause the patient simulator to go into cardiac arrest or die. This often educates the student more than when the instructor interrupts before they make the error.
Nontraditional students make up a significant portion of the student population in nursing colleges. Technology allows these students to earn their degree while managing the demands of work and family. Nursing classes are offered online with students learning nursing procedures through textbooks, videos and attending nursing skill labs at arranged times. The clinical experience is the only portion of the degree that students must complete in person.
Technology has made it possible for many nursing colleges to offer bridge programs for students. Students in these programs have completed some type of degree or training, and now want additional education to secure a better position in the health care field. Common bridge programs include licensed practical nurse to registered nurse or bachelor’s of science degree in nursing to a master’s of science degree in nursing. The former allows a person to move up from an LPN to an RN while the latter takes the person from an RN position to serving as a nurse practitioner. Generally these bridge programs work through a mixture of online classes and in-person clinicals making it possible for students to work in the health care field and still attend school.
Incorporating technological advances into nursing programs has dramatically increased the operating costs of these institutions. Patient simulators, such as the one sold by Laerdal, cost about $30,000 for one dummy and the simulation scenarios for it, as of July 2010. Budgets for nursing education are often limited making it difficult for nursing programs to grow and expand without funding from grants, private donors or foundations.
The nature of medical technology often makes it difficult for nursing schools to keep up with changes and provide the latest equipment for students to train on. Many nursing programs are forced to train students on older equipment that is donated by hospitals or other health care facilities when they upgrade their equipment.