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William Paterson University’s School of Nursing—home to the largest nursing enrollment on any college campus in New Jersey—has upgraded its Simulation Lab to feature state-of-the-art training technology and hospital-grade equipment that mirror modern healthcare.
The upgrades were made possible through a special $1 million New Jersey State appropriation that was secured for William Paterson last year by then-Assemblyman, now Senator, Benjie Wimberly.
“With advanced simulation technology and the latest and most popular hospital-grade equipment, we’re giving our students the most realistic clinical training possible before they begin training with real patients,” says Minerva Salinas Guttman, associate dean of the School of Nursing. “This immersive training builds the confidence and clinical judgment to deliver exceptional patient care from day one.”
Combining high-tech hospital simulation rooms with flexible classroom and practice areas designed for teamwork, critical thinking, and skill mastery, the Simulation Lab immerses students in a true-to-life clinical environment.
State-of-the-Art “patients”
At the heart of the nursing lab’s transformation are new top-of-the-line Elevate Healthcare simulators—high-tech “patients” so realistic they can breathe, blink, bleed, speak, and respond to treatment like real people. Built for emergency field training, the wireless simulators can be programmed to show symptoms ranging from asthma attacks to cardiac arrest.
They even provide real-time feedback during CPR training—alerting students if they’re applying the correct amount of pressure.
“What we can do with these new patient simulators is really amazing,” says Juliana Lisi, nursing simulation lab coordinator. “We are raising the bar in clinical training with technology capable of realistic physiological responses, including dynamic changes in vital signs, to better simulate real-life clinical scenarios. Students can practice in a controlled, safe environment without fear of judgment or mistake.”
Additionally, new software expands the range of training scenarios to include rare but critical conditions. “A nurse may never encounter one of these specific heart murmurs or lung sounds in real life, but if they do, they’ll recognize it thanks to the training they received here,” Lisi explains. “That kind of preparation can literally save people’s lives.”
The lab also boasts 20 new Stryker medical-surgical beds identical to those in top hospitals today. Each bed includes built-in scales for monitoring patient weights and adjustable positioning controls for cardiac and mobility patients. Updated IV pumps, nebulizers, and core medical equipment ensure students learn on the same tools they’ll encounter in professional healthcare settings.
A portion of the State funding also supported improvements to the University’s biology and speech-language pathology facilities—helping advance William Paterson’s commitment to preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.
