{"id":11154,"date":"2025-04-30T15:21:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T20:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/?p=11154"},"modified":"2025-04-30T15:22:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T20:22:09","slug":"sau-nursing-students-gain-hands-on-experience-in-mass-casualty-simulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/2025\/sau-nursing-students-gain-hands-on-experience-in-mass-casualty-simulation\/","title":{"rendered":"SAU nursing students gain hands-on experience in mass casualty simulation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Southern Arkansas University Department of Nursing recently demonstrated its dedication to preparing students for real-world clinical practice through an innovative mass disaster simulation. Led by Dr. Alice Fanning and Dr. Tara Almand, senior students from the Community Health Nursing and Leadership and Management courses participated in the hands-on training event. Held in the Wharton Nursing Building area, the simulation offered an immersive learning experience, providing students with critical hands-on training in emergency preparedness, crisis response, and leadership in high-pressure situations.<\/p>\n

The simulation, designed to replicate a large-scale disaster scenario, challenged students to assess the situation quickly, provide medical care, and coordinate resources in a high-stress environment. Community Health Nursing students focused on triage, first aid, and victim assessment, while Leadership students portrayed the victims and assisted in proper triage. To enhance the realism of the simulation, nursing faculty member Tracy Woolfley and nursing simulation coordinator Christina Arnold applied lifelike injury makeup\u2014known as moulage\u2014to the leadership students. Additionally, SAU sophomore business student Molly Fanning and 2024 alumna Alexis Kennedy Fanning participated as media personnel, simulating real-world press coverage during the disaster scenario.<\/p>\n

The Columbia County Ambulance crew actively participated in the event, adding authenticity and valuable real-world insight. Paramedics assisted in triage and demonstrated emergency care techniques, helping students understand the roles and expectations of first responders during crises. Their presence elevated the learning experience, offering expert feedback and real-time coaching on best practices in disaster response.<\/p>\n

\"\"This simulation bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world application,” said Dr. Alice Fanning. “It prepares our students not just to respond to emergencies, but to lead with confidence and competence in critical moments.”<\/p>\n

The event highlighted SAU’s commitment to experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration in nursing education. With support from faculty and emergency professionals, SAU nursing students continue to gain the skills and confidence needed to serve their communities in times of crisis. Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, Dr. Abdel Bachri, commended the initiative, stating, “This simulation exemplifies SAU’s dedication to fostering critical thinking and leadership in our students, equipping them to handle real-world challenges with skill and compassion.”<\/p>\n

Dr. Karen Landry, department chair of nursing, echoed Bachri\u2019s sentiment, emphasizing the collaborative spirit of the event: “We are incredibly proud of our students’ engagement in this high-impact drill, which brings together faculty, staff, students, and community partners to create a transformative learning experience.”<\/p>\n

The SAU Department of Nursing prepares students for current clinical practice by integrating hands-on simulations, interprofessional collaboration, and expert mentorship, ensuring graduates are ready to lead and serve in diverse healthcare settings.<\/p>\n

About SAU:<\/p>\n

SAU, located in Magnolia, Arkansas, provides students with a complete college experience in a caring environment of service, innovation, and community. With more than 100 degrees in four distinct colleges and the School of Graduate Studies, SAU initiates new degree programs to fit the needs of career and professional trends of today. As part of this commitment, SAU proudly offers the Next Step Guarantee program, ensuring that students receive the necessary resources, career guidance, and support to transition successfully from college to their chosen careers or graduate studies. To learn more about SAU, visit www.saumag.edu.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Southern Arkansas University Department of Nursing recently demonstrated its dedication to preparing students for real-world clinical practice through an innovative mass disaster simulation. Led by Dr. Alice Fanning and Dr. Tara Almand, senior students from the Community Health Nursing and Leadership and Management courses participated in the hands-on training event. Held in the Wharton… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":11157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[271,308,7753,76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11154","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-college-of-science-and-technology","9":"category-homepage","10":"category-nursing","11":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11154"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11160,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11154\/revisions\/11160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}