Nursing Simulation

PORTLAND, Ore. – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland Community College’s Nursing Program has moved entirely online using innovative software that allows its students to care for actor patients in real-time. The pivot has allowed its students to continue training, graduate on time and find jobs in the critical healthcare industry.

Rather than attending clinical experiences to practice direct patient care, students engage in virtual simulation called “ATI Real Life Clinical Reasoning” scenarios, which were approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing. These scenarios were used in the National Council of State Boards of Nursing study, which concluded that simulation can be effectively substituted for up to 50 percent of traditional clinical experience.

“This will be different learning, but it will be no less valuable,” said PCC Nursing Program Director Heather Reynolds. “Not all students get the opportunity to work with a patient experiencing chest pain, for example, so combining virtual scenarios with traditional clinical experiences may give students a breadth of experience they may not have otherwise gotten. The scenarios are really life-like and allow them to make independent decisions in a safe environment.”

In the virtual scenarios with medical actors, nursing students get to make independent decisions in key patient care scenarios, like a “Choose Your own Adventure.” They get immediate feedback on their choices and are able to go back and see what would happen if they made different choices.

This was in addition to nursing faculty developing remote classes and interactions so that students could complete spring term and graduate on time. Class content is posted online in recorded sessions where students can view asynchronously, on discussion boards, and in live virtual meetings during regularly scheduled course times.

PCC's Nursing Program is located at the Sylvania Campus. It teaches students the knowledge and skills required for an entry-level nursing job and qualify to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, which is a requirement for practice. As a result, nursing graduates have more than a 95-percent pass rate on the NCLEX exam, and 95 percent are either employed or move on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Nursing after graduation.

Even before COVID-19, there was a high demand for nurses in Oregon. With the pandemic, the need has skyrocketed.

“Graduating is really important to our students, who have been working towards this goal for many years,” Reynolds said. “In addition to the benefit to our communities, it is also a way to financial security for our students. With so many facing hardships right now, it is critical for our students to be able to finish.”

For many students, earning their nursing degree has been a long-term goal, the realization of a life-long dream, and the way to a better life. With a family to support, student Lynn King is graduating soon and is eager to join the workforce. He is thankful that PCC is supporting him to help make that happen.

“As an ‘older’ non-traditional student, surviving on a tight budget with a spouse and three young children, we didn’t have some of the resources I needed to learn remotely,” King said. “Our Director Heather Reynolds personally coordinated a solution to help my family keep going until graduation. I am truly grateful.”

About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to nearly 70,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, eight education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Community College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Global Trade Centeris part of a statewide network helping local businesses access critical assistance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By visiting bizcenter.org/COVID-19,PCC’s SBDC and Global Trade Center and Oregon Small Business Development Center Networkstaff work one-on-one with small businesses to navigate the economic crisis, advising on issues such as applying for federal CARES Act, state and local funding, cash management, business model modification, supply chain management, strategic planning, and more.

“We are actively engaged in deep and meaningful ways for small business re-opening, recovery and resilience," said Tammy Marquez-Oldham, director of the PCC Small Business Development Center and Global Trade Center. "We know there are positive outcomes to be felt by small businesses while serving them virtually with advising, training, tools, strategy and access to resources and capital."

Advisors are updating information in real-time for small businesses to access, as well as one-on-one advising as they apply for the Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loan, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and future stimulus programs. Each day new programs are available through individual cities, as well as business partners and economic development partners across the state. Organizations are working together and leveraging scarce resources to serve as many small businesses as possible.

This work is critical, because in Portland alone there are more than 50,000 small businesses. With many small businesses shuttered due to stay-home orders, many are having to close their businesses and lay off employees. The re-opening of Oregon with Governor Kate Brown's phase-in planadds an additional level of complexity.

As part of the Oregon SBDC Network (OSBDCN) and Small Business Administration (SBA), the 19 SBDCs and Global Trade center act as a unified network to rapidly respond to this economic crisis in conjunction with Business Oregon and local community partners. The SBDC is also creating virtual communities so business owners can help each other.

“The SBDC and Global Trade Center teams have created retail, restaurant and global trade virtual meetups where business owners from all over Oregon can exchange experiences and resources," Marquez-Oldham explained. "They share what they’ve learned about various aspects of rebuilding and managing businesses during this time. These communities create a supportive, inclusive, accessible solution-finding and resource-rich environment for small business owners at no cost.”

With inquiries more than tripling in the past weeks, the SBDC and Global Trade Center isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon.

“We haven’t reached maximum capacity yet, but we’re already working with partners to ensure that no matter what the need, business owners get the support and resources necessary for their path forward,” she continued.

Oliver Alexander is the owner of Remote.ly, a co-working community featuring monthly members and private offices for individuals. He said, "The SBDC and Capital Access team provided us with assistance in submitting the Economic Injury Disaster loan application, and we secured $30,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program. In turn, we shared this great resource with thousands of small businesses through our e-newsletter."

To access the statewide advising network, visit bizcenter.org/COVID-19/

PCC's SBDC is part of the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network,which provides advising, training, online courses and resources for businesses throughout the state. The network's 19 conveniently-located centers and 42 locations assist business people in every aspect of business development and management. For more information about PCC's center, visit pcc.edu/climb/small-business/.

About Portland Community College:Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to nearly 70,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, eight education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/