by Taylor Bryant
University of West Georgia’s School of Nursing held its open house for faculty, staff and students to visit the completed $16.5 million state-of-the-art nursing building. Many visitors stopped by the new School of Nursing for an in-depth tour of the 64,000-square-foot building, which features high-fidelity simulation suites and technologically advanced classrooms.
The open house allowed visitors to engage in the art skills and simulation labs on the second floor of the building. They were also able to engage in the simulation lab with mannequins by checking their pulses, auscultating their breath sounds and observing their reactions, such as seizures and perspiration. The facilities allow professors to record the aspiring nurses through an observation screen as the students work with their mannequin ‘patients.’
The first floor of the building includes a reflection room and garden that offers students quiet time during their busy days. Just beyond the reflection garden is the Santa Rosa Labyrinth, designed by Lea Goode-Harris in 1997. A labyrinth is a single path used as a universal tool for personal, psychological and spiritual growth and transformation. The design has one path leading to the center, as opposed to a maze, which has numerous ways to reach the end. The labyrinth has seven circuits divided into four quadrants. The space on the fourth circuit inline is called the heart space and is designed to hold symbols of personal significance to the person. Since the philosophy of the school emphasizes caring for self as essential for nurses, the labyrinth will be used for teaching and maintaining self-care for UWG students and faculty. As students walk the labyrinth, they can meditate and quiet their minds.
UWG’s School of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree with two tracks: a generic track for students who have never been licensed as an RN, and an RN/BSN track for individuals who are licensed as registered nurses and need to complete a BSN degree. The School of Nursing also offers a Master of Science in nursing degree in either education or health systems leadership, as well as post-Master’s certifications in those areas. Students with MSN degrees can pursue a Doctoral of Education degree in nursing education through UWG’s School of Nursing.
For more information on the nursing degree programs at UWG, visit www.westga.edu/~nurs/.
