NSHE awarded $350,000 federal grant to support training of future nurses and doctors in Las Vegas

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Health Sciences System has been awarded a $350,000 grant from the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to train future nurses and doctors. The grant award will be used to buy new equipment for the NSHE Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas (CSCLV), a high-tech clinical skills laboratory where nursing students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Nevada State College, as well as medical students and residents from the University of Nevada School of Medicine can train and learn together.

The funding will be used to purchase equipment for students to practice their clinical skills on life-like manikins in realistic, medically-challenging scenarios, while faculty and staff monitor student performance. Faculty and staff have the ability to control the manikins via computers to mimic patients’ physiological changes (e.g., changing blood pressure and heart rate, or causing seizures or other medical crises) and also to simulate other normal patient behaviors that add to the perception of reality, such as blinking or tearing eyes, and speaking using a voice modulator.

“I am pleased the Economic Development Administration will give the Nevada System of Higher Education a $350,000 grant to purchase equipment for health care professionals in Clark County,” said Senator Reid. He added, “As I wrote to the EDA in order to secure this grant funding, investments like these are critical to Nevada so that we may adequately train our health care professionals and better protect the health of our communities. With this grant, we complement our efforts through the Strong Cities, Strong Communities project to strengthen Las Vegas, promote economic growth and create jobs right here in Nevada.”

“Our simulation center is one of the biggest and best clinical training facilities in the country,” said Kevin J. Page, Chairman of the NSHE Board of Regents. “I’m excited about this grant announcement and the federal Economic Development Administration’s recognition that we are working hard to improve the medical health of our residents, while also improving the economic health of our state.”

“The CSCLV is a unique and innovative resource in the health care training arena, as it facilitates collaboration and shared resources among multiple institutions and disciplines” added NSHE Chancellor Daniel Klaich. “The funding provided by this grant will help NSHE fulfill our mission to ensure that Nevada has a highly-trained health care workforce to meet the state’s current and future needs.”

“The NSHE Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas plays a critical role in meeting Nevada’s goals to strengthen the economy and provide a trained workforce in the health care industry by providing desperately needed graduates in the fields of nursing and medical care,” said Steve Hill, Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). “There is great potential for job creation within the health and medical services industry, and these opportunities support Nevada’s sustained economic development goals and overall economic growth. GOED considers NSHE to be an important partner in meeting its goals, and this grant is great news for the State of Nevada and its work to align the workforce development and economic development objectives of the state.”

The purpose of this EDA grant is to foster economic development through support of innovative projects that encourage the production of higher-skilled, higher wage jobs, in partnership with private industry. The CSCLV has been providing this type of advanced training, in partnership with the health care industry, and in line with state, regional and local economic development goals since its inception in 2009. This support from the EDA will help enable the CSCLV to continue to meet current and evolving demands from industry and economic development partners now and into the future.

About the NSHE Health Sciences System

The Health Sciences System (HSS) of the Nevada System of Higher Education is charged with working with leaders throughout the eight NSHE institutions to ensure that Nevada has a highly trained health care workforce to meet our current and future needs. The HSS was established in 2006 in recognition of the unique opportunity for NSHE’s eight institutions to work together to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of our students and our state. On behalf of the Chancellor and the Board of Regents, the HSS staff was charged to serve as a catalyst and coordinating agent to support program development and promote collaboration within the over 150 health sciences programs throughout the eight NSHE institutions, and with external health care partners.