SOWELA Expands Nursing Labs to Accommodate Growing Programs

SOWELA Technical Community College recently expanded its simulation labs to accommodate growing Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs. The expansion project was funded through a $503,000 grant with the Louisiana Technical and Community College System. The project increases patient lab space from 1,349 to 2,015 square feet and brings the total number of high-fidelity labs from three to five.

 

“The Allied Health Care field is continually growing and SOWELA provides the area healthcare industries with qualified and skilled nurses,” said SOWELA Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall. “With the addition of a fourth RN cohort this past year, we were fortunate to be able to build a new nursing skills simulation lab. This new lab will provide our nursing students the technology and equipment they need to gain practical hands-on experience in many nursing skills scenarios.

  

Last year, SOWELA added a fourth Nursing (RN) cohort to its program, doubling program enrollment. The College now admits students into the program every fall and spring semester. The space helps the program accommodate additional students and enables both the Nursing and Practical Nursing programs to participate in high-fidelity simulations at the same time. Students in all nursing programs participate in adult, geriatric, pediatric and OB (labor, delivery and postpartum) high fidelity simulations.

 

“We are very excited to have two more high fidelity simulation rooms,” said SOWELA School of Nursing and Allied Health Dean Kristine Stout. “This will allow for multiple simulations to occur simultaneously as well as more complex simulations for students to participate in. High fidelity simulations require decision-making and problem solving under realistic pressures but in a safe controlled environment. The additional rooms will enhance the education of students in all our nursing and allied health programs.”

 

High-fidelity simulation labs are critical to preparing nursing students for clinicals and the workforce. The varied scenarios emulate patients the students would take care of in the hospital setting. Alternatively, they also ensure students experience any scenarios that did not come up during clinicals.

 

In SOWELA’s high-fidelity labs, for example, simulation scenarios may include increasing a mannequin’s temperature or heartrate and even putting the mannequin in labor. Labs provide an essential intermediate step between classroom and clinicals to give students a chance to practice their skills, learn to work as a team, increase their confidence and develop their clinical judgment.

  

The grant also funded a second child mannequin, scrub sink for multidisciplinary simulations with Surgical Technology and medication room for a more realistic hospital setting.

 

Registration is open for the 2025 Fall semester. Interested individuals can apply now at www.sowela.edu/apply. Students are encouraged to register early for more scheduling options. Scholarships and financial aid are available for those who qualify. For assistance or for more specific admission requirements for each nursing program, contact the One Stop Enrollment Office at (337) 421-6550 or [email protected].

 

WalletHub ranks SOWELA as Louisiana's #1 community college based on Cost and Financing, Education Outcomes and Career Outcomes. SOWELA also ranks in the top 40% of community colleges nationally.