Wes Watkins Technology Center recently celebrated the newly renovated Health Careers Simulation Lab with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
WWTC was established in 1987 to provide technical education and farm business management to Hughes, McIntosh, and Okfuskee counties, and later incorporated parts of Okmulgee County. The school began with two programs: Farm Business Management and Practical Nursing. Since then, the technology center has expanded to 10 programs and an extensive offering of short-term and workforce and economic development training.
In 1994, the Glen D. Johnson Health Complex was built and included a 1363 square foot skills lab. With the passing of an additional 5 mils in 2017, plans were developed to remodel the skills lab and work was completed in the spring of 2022. With the newly renovated Health Careers Simulation Lab, nursing students will be trained utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and immersive learning experiences.
The lab now has four simulation rooms with high-fidelity mannequins capable of simulating human behavior, including communication and physical. The rooms have audio-visual capacity to record a student’s performance and allow for a debriefing to assess their problem-solving skills and application of knowledge. Today’s healthcare facilities demand that nurses work continuously to improve patient outcomes. The Health Careers Simulation Lab helps maximize patient-nurse encounters and scenarios without any risk of patient harm. Students apply their knowledge in hands-on scenarios that mimic various clinical situations within the simulation labs. Other WWTC health-related programs, such as Multi-Skilled Healthcare Provider, short-term courses, and high school health career programs will also utilize and benefit from the simulation lab.
The WWTC Practical Nursing program has been an integral educator of LPNs for surrounding communities. Licensed Practical Nurses are an essential part of the healthcare system, serving in local hospitals, clinics, residential care facilities, home healthcare, and physician’s offices. Between 2018 and 2028, there will be an estimated 60,700 additional LPN jobs in the state of Oklahoma.
Guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were given a tour of the newly renovated facility. We would like to thank those that were able to attend the event.
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