By Suzy Alstrin
New equipment at Reinhardt’s Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences offers students advanced real-world experience, thanks to a U.S. Department of Education grant. The $350,000 award enabled the training facility in Jasper, Georgia (Pickens County) to improve its equipment and enhance student clinical experiences and learning outcomes.
Thus far, the grant provided funds to upgrade the simulation, computer, and skills labs. New lifelike, high-fidelity simulation pediatric, adult, and geriatric mannequins, headwall fixtures, and an air compressor simulate a real hospital environment. New teaching software includes a birthing simulator and upgraded classroom technology.
Interim dean Kimberlin Zelinsky elaborated, “The simulation equipment we purchased with the grant money allows us to provide state-of-the-art experiences where students can practice taking care of the patient in a realistic environment where it is safe to make mistakes.” Senior Abigail Selkey (RU-2025) agrees, “It’s the closest we can get to real life. These new mannequins have been extremely beneficial because we are able to take vital signs, give injections, insert and flush IVs, and see results from catheters. During one of our biggest simulations, it was up to us to notice that the mannequin was suffering symptoms of septic shock and respond.”
Through a one-way mirrored window, simulation coordinator Isabelle Betances observes the simulations from an adjacent room and controls what the mannequins say and how it responds to their treatment and bedside manner. “These students are having a great time applying what they are learning in class to these mannequins with advanced technology, and it is amazing to see the students put their knowledge and skills to work,” she explained.
Thirty-nine students from Pickens County are currently enrolled at Reinhardt, including eight nursing majors. During the 2024-2025 academic year, Reinhardt is providing $431,076 in institutional aid to 32 of these students. Thirty students with permanent residency in Pickens County receive a Pickens County scholarship ranging from $500 to $2,000.
Nursing majors currently receive a combined $112,497 in institutional aid, including the Pickens County Last Dollar Scholarship for Nursing. An estimated 98 percent of graduates of the Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences remain in North Georgia, providing healthcare services to their local communities.
Small class sizes and top-notch instruction contribute to the institution’s 93.9% pass rate of the required National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam. Last academic year, the December and May cohorts achieved an impressive 100% pass rate.
