Alumna Donates High-Tech Robot to School of Nursing
June 25, 2021 (Jackson, Miss.) - Alumna and nurse Mary (Walt) Minor '78 gifted Belhaven's School of Nursing a high-tech manikin that will give students a unique learning experience and advantage in their education.
Annie the robot is a moderate fidelity manikin designed specifically for student nurse training. It breaths, has heart and lung sounds, has blood pressure and electrical signals in its heart, and sits unsupported on the side of the bed. Low tech manikins work well for practicing many nursing skills, but the advantage of Annie is much more lifelike and responds as a human would. It can mimic a realistic clinical event in a realistic clinical setting.
“We will be incorporating Annie to enrich our experiences, as we already use low fidelity simulation and real patients at clinical sites,” observed Dr. Amy Rex-Smith, professor and dean of Belhaven's School of Nursing. “Annie will augment this by giving us a safe place where students can bridge between the clinical lab and the hospital.”
Minor was interested in making a significant contribution to help the Belhaven School of Nursing. When she found out that the University had a simulation room and it had been empty, she generously offered to fill the bed with Annie.
“We plan on beginning to use her in the Fall 2021 semester, stated Rex-Smith.“Annie will provide a way for nurses to practice their skills without hurting real people. The students can get the needed experience before they ever do the procedure on a real patient. We also plan to set up scenarios so that the students can practice collecting actual real time data to then make clinical decisions based on the analysis of the information.”
“This is a game changer for Belhaven's School of Nursing,” stated Belhaven University President Dr. Roger Parrott. “We are so proud of how far the program has come in such a short period of time. Our reputation is remarkable with the hospitals and our students not only get jobs, but they get top-level specialty jobs. Most of them are getting two or three offers when they graduate. The hospitals are seeking them out not just for the level of our nursing education, but because of their strong Christian commitment and desire to serve.”
Minor considered her time at Belhaven as a time of healing that opened her eyes to beauty and good in God's world and in His people as well as a time of educational excellence. She remembers with fondness professors such as Dr. Wilson and Mr. Chamblin."Being able to give back to Belhaven I find deeply satisfying and one of the best things I have ever done," said Minor.
Dr. Parrott adds, “A huge thanks to Mary Minor for her generosity in making this enhancement to our School of Nursing. It will pay eternal benefits and lifesaving benefits in this world.”