USCA Nursing School Secures $2M for Simulation Lab and Classroom Updates

The University of South Carolina Aiken's School of Nursing will receive $2 million from U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. The money goes toward construction and renovations. It'll also pay for simulation equipment and new tech. Graham announced the funds in early February as part of nearly $150 million he secured for infrastructure and workplace development projects across South Carolina.

Most of the money will improve the nursing simulation lab. “Upgrading our equipment and modernizing the space in the high-fidelity simulation lab will allow students to learn in environments that closely mirror what they will see in real practice,” Chargualaf said in the USCA release. “These enhancements will allow us to replicate hospital rooms, complex patient conditions, and emergency situations.”

The lab's audiovisual equipment will also be upgraded, as the program requires. The current system records students as they work with patients. Instructors can then review footage during debriefing sessions. That equipment has started showing wear and tear after years of constant use. Nursing classrooms will be renovated to support newer tech put in place in recent years.

The simulation lab helps address challenges with clinical placement, which has become a pressing issue. A limited number of patients in the area makes it hard to find opportunities for students to complete lab hours in real hospitals, so up to 50% of clinical placement can be replaced with simulation lab work, letting students rotate between real clinical settings and the lab.

A timeline for the updates hasn't been announced yet. Chargualaf thanked Graham and the Aiken community for their support in helping the program graduate nurses.