Friday, July 09, 2010

A parade of "SIM" mannequins used to educate student nurses will make its way down Chancellor's Walk Monday, July 12 at 10:30 a.m. as the mannequins are moved to their new home in the recently completed Nursing Building at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Media should park in Lot S across from the Student Recreation Center.

Nursing students and faculty will carefully transport seven mannequins in wheelchairs and on stretchers from the School of Nursing's current location in Friday Annex to the new building, which will officially open later this summer and will be used for classes, labs and other purposes for nursing education starting in the fall semester.

In opening the new building, the School of Nursing has also been able to purchase several new simulators, which will give them close to 15 total for use in the new building's six main specialty simulation laboratories. These labs will provide dedicated space and equipment for skills training and practice in health assessment, acute care, critical care, pediatrics, maternal/infant care and operating room/emergency room procedures.

Expansion of the simulation laboratories is one of the key features of the new building, in addition to expanded classroom facilities and the opportunity to place all nursing students, faculty, administrators and teaching space under one roof. The new building provides nearly 10,000 square feet of simulation lab space, compared to one small laboratory (less than 1,000 square feet) that was used in Friday Annex.

Media will be invited at a later date for a comprehensive tour and introduction to the new building, its facilities and its capabilities.

Photographers and Videographers: It may be possible to shoot aerial footage of the mannequins being moved down Chancellor's Walk from the top of the new Seahawk Landing parking garage. Contact UNCW Media Relations if you are interested in shooting from that vantage point.

Note: Media are also invited to stay on campus after the nursing simulation move to cover the testing of the Seahawk Warning Siren System at noon.

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.508.3127 (cell) or fischettid@uncw.edu