The Learning Resources and Simulation Center at the University of Southern Maine (USM) School of Nursing provides an environment for our students to develop clinical judgment and reasoning while focusing on best practices.
Certified Instructors
Our student-learning labs are developed by content experts and our Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators (CHSE). Labs are facilitated by clinically experienced instructors. Our lab manager is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist (CHSOS).
Clinical Preparation
This is where our students get to put classroom theory and scientific principles into action, with the support of our simulation team. In our labs and Simulation Center, we utilize “real-world” scenarios and equipment. This provides our students with the best hands-on opportunities while working in a controlled and safe learning environment.
Our students experience a variety of patient cases through the use of human simulators such as Laerdal’s SimMan 3G.
Each lab scenario, facilitated by our instructors, expands upon current course material. In addition to learning to communicate as a team, our undergraduate students focus on task training for skills such as inserting IVs, using a variety of IV pumps, administering oxygen, ECG interpretation, drawing up medications, and many others.
Graduate students pursuing a master’s degree in a specialty area focus on advanced assessment skills for acute care, such as suturing, inserting advanced airways and central venous catheters, and pharmacology.
Our Audio Visual technology enables fellow students to observe their classmates working in simulation scenarios. Following sessions in the Simulation Center, students engage in debriefing discussions with faculty.
Our Facilities
Laboratory facilities are available on both our Portland and Lewiston-Auburn campus, which allows for our traditional BS in Nursing program to be completed on either campus. Our Accelerated BS in Nursing and RN to BS in Nursing programs, as well as our graduate programs, are offered on our Portland campus.
- Simulation Center | Portland campus
In this simulated inpatient setting, our students develop their critical thinking and decision-making skills through simulation-based activities. - Fundamentals of Nursing Lab | Portland campus and Lewiston-Auburn campus
In this space, our students focus on foundational nursing therapeutics, which promote, maintain, and restore the patient’s health. - Physical Assessment Lab | Portland campus and Lewiston-Auburn campus
This lab provides an area for our students to practice in-depth bio-psycho-social-cultural health assessments of adults. - Multi-Purpose Lab | Portland campus
This lab offers a space for further practice and lab expansions.
View Lab and Simulation Center Photos
Refilling and Repackaging Program
The University is continually making strides toward sustainable practices. In our nursing labs, we focus on refilling, cleaning, and repackaging as many materials as possible. This decreases the amount of clean medical waste disposal.