Orange City, Iowa – Northwestern College is bustling with activity this winter as students prepare to embark on service trips and the nursing department receives a significant grant.
During spring break, the college will send 12 teams of students on service trips to various locations in the U.S., as well as Spain, England, and Mexico. Over 160 participants will be involved in this year’s Spring Service Partnerships (SSP), scheduled for March 1-10. These trips, led by faculty and staff, involve extensive pre-trip training and aim to equip students as effective Christian servants. Students will step out of their comfort zones, experience different cultures, and engage in various service projects, such as disaster recovery, youth programs, and community outreach.
Additionally, Northwestern College’s nursing department has been awarded a $130,000 grant from the Carver Charitable Trust. The grant will be used to purchase a high-fidelity pediatric simulator and a virtual reality simulation system. The pediatric simulator replicates the bodily functions, vital signs and behaviors of a real child. It can blink, interact with the nursing students, and present common pediatric conditions such as asthma, dehydration, seizures or respiratory distress, which are sometimes difficult to simulate with real patients.
These advanced tools will enable nursing students to practice high-stakes pediatric care and high-risk procedures in a controlled environment, ensuring they can hone their skills with confidence before working with actual patients. The grant will help the college meet the growing need for nurses and prepare students to practice health care with excellence and compassion.
(Thanks to Community First Broadcasting Station KSOU for their input on this story)
