LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — The University of Central Arkansas School of Nursing is celebrating a major milestone after earning full accreditation for its simulation center, the Nabholz Center for Healthcare Simulation.
The recognition comes from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, marking the first time a collegiate simulation center in Arkansas has achieved the distinction.
“This international accreditation was really one way to showcase what we do here every day,” said Dr. Susan Gatto, Director of the UCA School of Nursing.
The achievement has been a decade in the making. What began as an idea has grown into a 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility designed to give nursing students hands-on experience in a realistic but risk-free environment.
“About 10 years ago we had this idea that we wanted to build a simulation center that was state of the art, high quality, that would allow the students to have a safe place to learn,” Gatto said.
Inside the center, students train using high-tech mannequins that can simulate breathing, heart rates, and other medical conditions. Faculty say the environment helps prepare students for real-world healthcare settings beyond the classroom.
“Becoming the first university in the state of Arkansas was a massive undertaking,” said Erin Garrett, Simulation Co-Coordinator and Quality Manager at the UCA School of Nursing.
The accreditation process required extensive documentation, curriculum mapping, and evaluation of the program’s standards and outcomes.
Gatto says the milestone is both professional and personal.
“I am so proud of this. This is like a dream I had back in 2016 and for this to come to fruition is like a dream come true for me,” she said.
While UCA is the first college in Arkansas to earn full accreditation through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, it is the second simulation center of any kind in the state to receive the honor.
