After serving as a clinical training site for Plymouth State University (PSU) nursing students for nearly a decade, Speare and PSU embarked upon a new training opportunity this year.

PSU nursing students learn first-hand how to access and triage patients in the school’s state-of-the-art simulation lab, working with students who are trained to act out specific symptoms and problems.

In recognition of the training Speare has provided PSU, leadership in the school’s department of nursing offered their simulation lab as a great opportunity for nurses at Speare to train in medical scenarios that they experience infrequently.

Donna Driscoll, DNP, and Dawn Monahan, MSN, both clinical associate professors in the PSU school of nursing, put together a post-partum hemorrhage scenario for Speare OB nurses and providers.

“We don’t have an opportunity for this type of training, and we really need to practice,” says Beth Simpson, nurse director at Speare. “We had an amazing experience working with the team at PSU.”

“We learn together, and it’s so nice to give back,” says Donna.

She adds that the experience allows faculty to teach at a different level.

“We teach our students at a more basic level,” she says. “The nurses and physicians from Speare who came over are actually practicing medicine, so it makes us step up our game.”

When PSU nursing students are at Speare, they are beginning their hands-on training. When Speare nurses are at the PSU simulation lab, they are advancing their skills to the next level. It’s a win-win.