The urban location of Wichita State allows the School of Nursing to partner with many clinical facilities in both the urban and rural areas. Undergraduate students rotate through a series of facilities to experience the wide range of the nursing profession. Graduate students are placed in practicum settings across the state of Kansas in areas related to their specialization.
Hands-on clinical learning is integrated throughout the program curriculum. In the Assessment Lab, students learn how to take a patient history, and perform health assessments and examinations. The Clinical Learning Lab is a simulated hospital setting in which students practice hands-on basic nursing skills.
Simulation Use of Standardized Patients
Simulation: Preparing students for real-life situations in a safe learning environment.
The Standardized Patient (SP) is an umbrella term for both a well person trained to simulate a patient’s illness in a standardized way, and an actual patient who is trained to present his or her illness in a standardized way. This is one tool the School of Nursing utilizes for evaluation of student clinical performance/competence– for both graduate and undergraduate students. SPs are people from the community who are trained to portray patients with specific problems for students to work through in an organized manner just as they would do in the actual clinical setting. Each encounter is monitored by video and taped for student self-evaluation and/or WSU faculty to review and evaluate.
Case scenarios vary and include:
- Responding to a patient telephone call
- Counseling a patient on a given topic
- Doing a complete patient evaluation
For some situations students expected to:
- Conduct an appropriate history
- Provide a physical exam
- Order diagnostic studies if indicated
- Arrive at a diagnosis
- Discuss diagnosis with the patient
- Provide patient education
We believe that the simulations using standardized patients are:
- Authentic
- Realistic
- Practical
We believe that simulations, using standardized patients, provide students an opportunity to:
- Practice patient safety
- Think critically
- Solve problems
- Practice caring behaviors in a safe, nonthreatening environment where mistakes can be made without risk to patients.
Graduate Nursing Student Practicum Documentation
It is the responsibility of the student to submit expiring items as needed to avoid a lapse. Students who have items that lapse during the semester may not continue in the practicum and are subject to administrative withdrawal. Verification from Student Health Services (SHS) MUST be received by the Graduate Nursing Programs deadline. Students are responsible for confirming verification receipt with the Graduate Nursing Programs Office.
Semester Deadlines:
Fall - August 1
Spring - December 1
Summer - July 3
IMPORTANT: Completion of the documentation includes receipt in the School of Nursing of verification from Student Health Services (SHS). If your practicum begins prior to the actual semester start, then your due date may be earlier.
NOTE: These are the requirements for Wichita State University Graduate Nursing. It will be the responsibility of the student to check with the clinical site for any additional required clinical documentation and to follow up with the site for instructions to complete.
ALL STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE the following documentation PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT IN A PRACTICUM COURSE:
1) Medical requirements-submit to Student Health Services
2) License/insurance/training requirements-submit to the Graduate Nursing Programs
Office, AH 501