TSU's nursing department believes in utilizing technology wherever it can be used to improve nursing skills. A multitude of scenarios can be programmed into computerized and mechanized simulated patients. With products like SimMan and VitalSim, Tarleton's nursing program has provided its students with the best technology has to offer to increase the number of possible situations as well as a variety of nursing issues that they will encounter during their career.

The VitalSim patient simulator mimics the vital signs that a nurse must learn to record for observation and diagnosis. Nurses are on the front lines meeting the needs of patients, and doctors and other medical staff rely on the accuracy of the vital signs that are recorded in each patient's medical records. The VitalSim patient simulator gives nursing students a human-like form they can listen to and touch in order to gather information about the "patient."

The newest technology in the skills lab is the SimMan (pictured on the left). Not only does the SimMan allow nursing students to obtain vital signs, obtain visual and tactile assessment of basic body systems, but it also simulates so much more—the student will not only hear the patient breathing, but they will see its chest rise and fall with every breath. The SimMan and VitalSim simulators are also capable of speaking. A wireless microphone and remote control enables the instructor to interact with the student and the remote gives the instructor the ability to modify the physical symptoms of the "patient" to meet the instructional needs of the student.

The simulated patient is used for basic skills training as well as more advanced training by the use of scenarios. The "patient" symptoms change during a scenario just as the symptoms change with real patients in real hospital settings. The simulated patient scenarios respond to the students' actions and the scenarios increase in complexity as the students' skills advance.

The multiple Laerdal Virtual I.V.
Learning Systems available in the
skills lab allow students to practice
performing an intravenous needle insertion without trauma to any patient.  The interactive simulation system stimulates thinking and also allows for the fun that goes with learning a new and exciting skill.

Adjacent to the skills lab* is the nursing computer lab.*  There are computer adaptive instruction modules as well as instructive films and testing software available on the computers for use by nursing students. Beginning early in the nursing curriculum, students are given assignments to complete in the computer lab in conjunction with specific classes.