Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Marieb College of Health & Human Services Employs Cutting-Edge Educational Technology
Innovative teaching is one of the keys to preparing the next generation of highly skilled healthcare professionals. At Florida Gulf Coast University, Marieb College of Health & Human Services is pioneering a new era in healthcare education with immersive learning experiences and cutting-edge technology that ensure graduates are ready to excel in the rapidly evolving health professions.
Imagine stepping into a classroom where a holographic image isn’t just Hollywood special effects but tangible reality. That’s the vision realized by Marieb College, where seven state-of-the-art units from Proto Hologram have been integrated into the curriculum. The college has one EPIC Hologram, about 4.5 feet wide and a little over 7 feet tall, that can deliver a life-size holographic-style image. Using 2D images or video, the unit creates a 3D-like experience. The other six units in Marieb College are tabletop models, making them easy to transport from classroom to classroom.
All seven units have the same capabilities; each has a smart camera enabling two-way communication and projects 4k images and video. Eventually, the units will be housed in a new center planned for FGCU’s next academic building. With the help of such advanced technology, students experience realistic scenarios and develop skills needed to provide better patient care.
With the click of a button, they are transported into a telepresence healthcare technology known as Dr. Hologram. This innovative tool allows students to engage with virtual patients in a safe and controlled environment, honing their diagnostic and empathetic skills.
The possibilities are endless. Whether it’s presenting pre-recorded cases or beaming in standardized patients or guest speakers, Dr. Hologram bridges the gap between theory and practice. In healthcare simulations, the idea is to create realistic environments to increase the ability of the learner to suspend disbelief.
Putting theory through its paces
By immersing nursing, social work and health sciences students in lifelike scenarios, Marieb College is cultivating a new generation of healthcare professionals equipped to tackle real-world challenges with confidence. Nursing students perfect their skills in labs that emulate operating rooms, intensive care units and other patient care environments that are equipped with state-of-the-art mannequins that talk, bleed and present like humans. Exercise science students get hands-on experience using anti-gravity technology and gold-standard equipment such as Bod Pod body composition analysis systems.
With such experiences complementing rigorous classroom instruction, Marieb College maintains 100% graduate employment rate within six months of degree completion.
But Marieb College’s educational innovation doesn’t stop there.
The “Nursing Escape Room” at FGCU was designed to reinforce nursing fundamentals in an adrenaline-fueled setting. Picture a hospital room transformed into a labyrinth of clues and puzzles, where students race against the clock to diagnose a simulated patient’s condition.
In this high-stakes game, every decision matters. Guided by faculty, teams of nursing students embark on a quest to unravel the mystery of “Mr. Jones,” a lifelike human patient simulator. With each clue discovered and problem solved, they inch closer to the correct diagnosis, reinforcing classroom learning along the way.
In the safe confines of simulation, students are empowered to make errors and learn from them, ensuring they’re better prepared for the realities of patient care. These simulations not only sharpen clinical skills but also instill confidence and resilience in Southwest Florida’s future healthcare professionals. All of this contributes to FGCU’s ranking among the top-10 registered nursing education programs in Florida.
But the Nursing Escape Room isn’t just about solving puzzles. It’s about fostering teamwork, communication and critical thinking skills essential for success in the field. In an era where healthcare delivery is increasingly team-based, students are encouraged to work alongside peers from diverse backgrounds, gaining invaluable insights into the interconnected nature of modern healthcare systems.
Marieb College fosters such collaboration and interdisciplinary learning through its innovative approach to education. With cutting-edge tools like hologram technology and immersive simulation, graduates of the college’s seven bachelor’s and 12 graduate programs are poised to embark on a transformative journey toward becoming the next generation of healthcare leaders.
Compassion. Skill. Discipline. Critical thinking. Professionalism. The healing professions require all in equal degrees. Marieb College creates well-rounded, 360-degree practitioners through hands-on learning, intensive clinical experience and personalized attention.
For more information about Marieb College’s programs, go to fgcu.edu/mariebcollege.
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965
(239) 590-1000 | fgcu.edu
