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Charlotte, N.C. -- Presbyterian Hospital and Queens University of Charlotte hosted an Open House at Queens' Fifth Street Nursing School Campus today to showcase their new state-of-the-art Patient Simulation Laboratory (PSL). The facility will provide Queens nursing students and Novant Health and Presbyterian Hospital healthcare professionals with more effective clinical training through the use of new simulation technology.

The lab will house four computerized patient simulators - an infant, adolescent and two adults - that may be programmed with a variety of illness conditions, physiological problems and behavioral responses. Constructed by Medical Education Technologies, Inc., of Sarasota, Fla., the simulators blink, speak and breathe and are equipped with videotape/DVD capabilities, an audio/speaker system and intricately programmed human organ systems.

"This is the direction nursing education is taking," said Dr. Bill Cody, dean of the Presbyterian School of Nursing at Queens. "The simulators will prepare our students for a variety of complex care situations without exposing actual patients to our students for practice and learning purposes. As a result, the new PSL will enhance users' critical thinking skills, rapid response techniques and clinical knowledge in a controlled environment."

All training exercises will be integrated into the associate's and bachelor's degree nursing programs at Queens and the internship program at Presbyterian Hospital. Simulation exercises may be taped for classroom tutorial purposes, evaluating best practice models and/or areas for improvement.

More than 300 Queens nursing students are expected to receive PSL training each year, allowing Queens to meet the growing demand for nursing professionals across the nation. "A nursing shortage of near-crisis proportions exists in the United States," explains Dr. Cody. "The PSL will help curb this demand by providing quality, round-the-clock educational training to aspiring Charlotte nurses and healthcare professionals so that they may serve the needs of the public more efficiently and effectively."

The PSL is the result of a $349,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to Presbyterian Hospital and Novant Health in conjunction with Queens University of Charlotte. The grant's funds have been used to help staff the new facility and furnish it with computerized patient simulators, digital equipment and additional supplies.

"We are honored to collaborate with Queens University of Charlotte on educational initiatives for aspiring healthcare providers," said Lynn Boggs, chief operating officer for Presbyterian Healthcare. "Our partnership with Queens helps us fulfill our mission of improving the health of the community, one person at a time."

Presbyterian Healthcare is affiliated with Novant Health, a non-profit healthcare system serving 3.5 million people in 34 counties reaching from southern Virginia to northern South Carolina, and along the southeastern coast of North Carolina. Presbyterian is made up of physician clinics and five hospital: Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital and Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital. The hospital system is recognized as a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular, cancer, orthopaedic and women's health conditions. Novant Health and Presbyterian were named winners of the 2004 Codman Award, presented by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, for excellence in improving the quality and safety of health care. In addition, Novant Health has been ranked 7th in the nation by the 2007 Verispan Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks, published in Modern Healthcare magazine.

Queens is the largest producer of registered nurses (RNs) among private, higher education institutions in North Carolina. The University's Presbyterian School of Nursing offers an associate (ASN), bachelor (BSN) and master of science (MSN) in nursing degree to aspiring RNs and currently enrolls more than 500 part-time and full-time students.

Queens University of Charlotte is a private, co-ed, Presbyterian-affiliated comprehensive university, with a commitment to both liberal arts and professional studies. Located in the heart of historic Charlotte, Queens serves approximately 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students through its College of Arts and Sciences, the McColl School of Business, The Pauline Lewis Hayworth College and the Presbyterian School of Nursing.

Queens will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a variety of Sesquicentennial events planned for alumni, students, parents and the Charlotte community. For more information, please visit www.queens.edu/150.