New Alliance Between NLN and Laerdal to Support Nursing Education Research

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2003

New York, NY... The National League for Nursing (NLN) announced a new alliance with Laerdal that will support vitally important nursing education research. Laerdal, a leading supplier of emergency medicine products and total training solutions, has awarded the NLN a three-year, $375,000 grant to support a national, multi-site, multi-method project to develop and test models using simulation to promote student learning in nursing.

"Laerdals vision and support will allow NLN to address the ways in which simulation technology can be effectively integrated into nursing education," says NLNs Chief Executive Officer, Ruth D. Corcoran, EdD, RN. "We expect that this project will develop a cadre of nursing faculty who can use simulation in innovative ways that enhance student learning and contribute to the refinement of the body of knowledge related to the use of simulation in nursing education."

"We are pleased to support solid research that will lead to improved nursing education and better prepared nurses," says David N. Broussard, President and CEO of MPL, a Laerdal company. "It illustrates that when the private and nonprofit sectors join forces, important work can be accomplished."

Through this initiative, NLN member schools that serve as project sites will develop innovative uses of simulation in teaching nursing care of ill adults and children. Laerdals SimMan will be one of the simulation technologies used to enhance student learning, but schools will also use and study the effectiveness of other approaches and simulation tools.

Participating schools also will document student outcomes of learning through simulation, specifically, the extent to which different simulation models affect students critical thinking skills, level of self-confidence/anxiety, and knowledge.

Laerdals grant will enable eight NLN-member schools to participate in the research, which will commence in the fall 2003 semester. NLN is issuing a call for potential project sites and for nominations for the position of Project Director.

The National League for Nursing is the only national organization that represents the nursing workforce at all levels of education and practice. For 110 years, NLN has been dedicated to preparing nurses to meet the needs of a changing health care environment. NLN provides opportunities for the professional development of nursing faculty to advance quality nursing education. In addition to competency tests and measurements, and other educational products, NLN serves as a repository of databases, information, and benchmarking related to nursing education. For more information about the NLN, visit their website at www.nln.org.

The Laerdal Company was established in 1940. Today, Laerdal is dedicated to helping save lives with training and therapy products, services, and system solutions that support the Chain of Survival. For more information, visit www. Laerdal.com.