Mercyhurst North East Nursing Lab Goes High-Tech MNE recently was awarded a $31,031 grant for equipment in health care industry training programs. Thirty-eight grants were awarded to colleges and job-training facilities throughout the state. The announcement was made on March 6 by Governor Edward Rendell who is investing $1.7 million to supply secondary, career and technical education and post-secondary classrooms with state-of-the art equipment for advanced job training. The grant was written by Dr. Linda Rhodes through a Hirtzel Institute on Health Education and Aging initiative. MNE's nursing program will be purchasing several state-of-the-art Human Patient Simulators (HPS). These are fully computerized mannequins that can be programmed to teach patho-physiology, pharmacology and comprehensive scenario testing of one or more critical health incidents. The application of this technology improves critical thinking, clinical reasoning skills and synthesis of knowledge along with building confidence in practice for students to apply their skills to real-life clinical situations. In addition, the state Labor and Industry Job Training Equipment Grant will enable MNE to also purchase a Virtual I.V. giving nursing students a fully interactive, self-directed learning system and simulator for training intravenous catheterization. Powerful 3-D graphics provide realism while a state-of-the-art forced feedback device accurately simulating the sense of touch for true to life experience of giving a patient an IV. The state will be awarding Mercyhurst half of the total cost for the new lab priced at $61,000. The new lab will be up and running for fall term 2006.