Purdue University Global partnering with UnityPoint Health – Jones Regional Medical Center on mobile simulation lab

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Global School of Nursing has partnered with UnityPoint Health – Jones Regional Medical Center (JRMC) to develop and implement a mobile simulation lab.

The simulation lab will offer state-of-the-art equipment and a setting to train with realistic scenarios. The mobile unit, to be located on the JRMC campus in Anamosa, Iowa, will have two large simulation rooms staged to mock hospital rooms, a conference room to hold debriefings, and office and storage space. Infant, child and adult simulation mannequins and an IV arm will be available for training scenarios.

“The Purdue University Global School of Nursing is proud to advance our relationship with Jones Regional Medical Center forward, launching a state-of-the-art simulation lab with a focus on immersive learning,” said Melissa Burdi, Purdue Global vice president and dean of the School of Nursing. “We believe this innovative collaboration will serve as a driving force for clinical excellence with our nursing students, health care colleagues at JRMC and the community as a whole.”

In 2012, Jones Regional Medical Center started working with Purdue Global students in their nursing programs. Purdue Global approached JRMC about the possibility of a simulation lab in 2020. The lab is projected to be available for Purdue Global nursing students and JRMC staff by end of summer 2021.

“We want to provide the best quality care for our patients, and this simulation center will create the most realistic scenarios possible to achieve the highest quality,” said Eric Briesemeister, CEO of Jones Regional Medical Center. “We are excited to continue our relationship with Purdue Global in a way that will benefit the university and our hospital. Every day we are educating and training future caregivers so the communities we serve can receive the best care, without the travel.”

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global serves 34,000 students (as of April 2021), most of whom earn their degree online. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.

About UnityPoint Health – Jones Regional Medical Center

As a leader in community health care, UnityPoint Health – Jones Regional Medical Center (JRMC) is the only hospital in the Jones County area and cares for more than 5,500 people each month. Our state-of-the-art facility specializes in 24-hour emergency care, lab and radiology, inpatient hospital visits and nursing care; outpatient surgeries and clinics; counseling; and rehabilitation. Jones Regional Medical Center's mission is to improve the health of the people and the communities we serve. The hospital is affiliated with UnityPoint Health and has family practice clinics in Monticello, Anamosa, Tipton, Clarence, Vinton, Shellsburg and Belle Plaine. JRMC is also an affiliate of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's Hospital, which has been nationally recognized as a Top 100 Hospital. 

Media Contact, Purdue Global: Tom Schott, 765-427-1721, tschott@purdue.edu

Media Contact, UnityPoint Health: Olivia Mutchler, 319-369-7394

Sources: Melissa Burdi

Eric Briesemeister