NEWBERRY, S.C. (courtesy newberry.edu) — Once again establishing itself as a leader in health care education, the Newberry College Division of Nursing & Health Sciences has announced the launch of a new bariatric simulation lab. Funding for the lab was made possible through a grant from the BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.
Equipped with male and female bariatric manikins, a bariatric hospital bed, pediatric and adult simulation suits, a 3D obesity display, and a pediatric care simulator, the lab will provide nursing students with hands-on learning experiences to recognize direct correlations between obesity and potential health risks.
Obese patients are significantly underrepresented in health care training, which can lead to a lack of preparedness and sensitivity among health care staff. Obesity rates in South Carolina are particularly troubling, with a statewide rate of 35% and a 36.2% rate for Newberry County. Dr. Jerry Alewine, dean of nursing & health sciences, believes this lab will not only have an impact on students, but on the community as a whole.
“When we talk about health equity, what we’re talking about is leveling the playing field,” said Alewine. “One of the pivotal problems in South Carolina, in particular, and even Newberry County, is obesity. If you can imagine, in the hospital, if you’ve got someone who weighs 400 pounds or 600 pounds, taking care of them is totally different than what you would do if you would take care of someone who weighed, say, 180 pounds.
“This bariatric center will train our nursing students to take a holistic approach to treating these patients and provide the best quality of care. It will also allow us to take the knowledge we’re getting in a simulation setting and apply it to a clinical setting, and then hopefully do some research for our community to see,” he added.
Nursing students will also be able to collaborate with faculty from other disciplines such as nutrition and exercise science, as well as staff at the Newberry Medical Center of Newberry College and Newberry County Memorial Hospital. With these resources and partnerships, graduates of the nursing program will be well prepared to treat obese patients with the highest level of care.
“Obesity presents unique challenges in health care, and it is vital for nursing students to have the resources necessary to provide comprehensive care,” said Dr. Maurice Scherrens, president of Newberry College. “We are so grateful to the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation for supporting this project, which will make a huge positive impact to improving the quality of health care in South Carolina.”
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