UMO Receives $200k from the Golden LEAF Foundation
August 31, 2022
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations
MOUNT OLIVE- The University of Mount Olive (UMO) has received $200,000 in funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation. The funding will help equip the University’s nursing simulation laboratory, which is a vital part of their new prelicensure BSN degree program set to launch this month. The prelicensure BSN degree program will address the Golden LEAF workforce preparedness priority to increase the number of qualified individuals with skills aligned with the current and future needs of NC businesses, such as the patient care providers in Wayne and its surrounding counties.
“Increasing the pipeline of nurses to meet employer needs in and around Wayne County is critical. This Golden LEAF award will help equip a nursing simulation lab that is part of UMO’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “This new program will train 100 registered nurses each year for quality jobs in Wayne County and the surrounding area.”
According to UMO Nursing Chair Dr. Joy Kieffer the program will train BSN-prepared graduates to become Registered Nurses (RNs). “The nursing simulation laboratory is vital to training future nurses and meeting the high-tech demands of today’s healthcare market,” Kieffer said.
The $1 million simulation laboratory is a 3,000 square feet space containing two high-fidelity rooms with lifelike manikins, a low-fidelity room, which simulates an emergency department, and a debriefing room. In the lab, students will use cutting-edge technology to practice patient care skills, learn new techniques, and reinforce what they are learning in their courses in a clinical setting.
The funding from Golden LEAF will provide innovative technologies such as an Anatomage Table 8, which can simulate living anatomy and kinetic motions on 3D bodies. “Table 8 bodies deliver the most accurate representation of living anatomy and physiology that can be digitally interacted in 3D space,” Kieffer said. “These experiences help students master their ability to critically think through and problem-solve patient care scenarios. It also gives us the ability to collaborate with our healthcare partners as they use our facility to train for new skills or drill high-acuity, low-volume skills they may need in their everyday patient care.”
“We are very appreciative of Golden LEAF for recognizing the value of our program for this region and for the nursing profession,” said UMO President Dr. H. Edward Croom. “The funding support from Golden LEAF will truly have transformative power for our program and our students.”
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University is sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
