08 Jun 2026 Practice makes prepared

Posted at 8:10 PMh in News by

Before nursing students ever step into certain high-pressure clinical situations, many first meet those moments inside UCA’s Nabholz Center for Healthcare Simulation — a place where lifelike technology, trained faculty and carefully built scenarios help future healthcare professionals practice safely, think critically and gain confidence.

LEFT: Erin Garrett, MSN, RN, CPN, CHSE (from left); Charlie Nabholz; Tiffany Hall, BS; Diana Burks, BA, NRMET; and Sarah Luyet, BS, CHSOS, with nursing-simulator Anne. TOP RIGHT: Nabholz visits with nursing students at the celebration. Photo courtesy of UCA. CENTER RIGHT: School of Nursing Director and Professor Susan Gatto, PhD, RN (from left), and College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Dean Nancy Berryman Reese. BOTTOM RIGHT: Patient Simulator

That work received historic recognition April 28 when the University of Central Arkansas School of Nursing’s Nabholz Center for Healthcare Simulation earned full accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, becoming the first collegiate simulation center in Arkansas to receive the designation.

“This is a landmark achievement for the University of Central Arkansas and a tremendous win for the future of healthcare in Arkansas,” said Dr. Susan Gatto, director of the UCA School of Nursing. She said the recognition validates the work taking place in the simulation center and confirms that UCA is providing students with a world-class learning environment where they can build confidence, sharpen skills and improve patient outcomes.

Located in UCA’s Integrated Health Sciences building, the Nabholz Center gives students a realistic, hands-on environment where they can build confidence before entering clinical settings. Using advanced technology, lifelike mannequins and carefully designed patient-care scenarios, students practice communication, critical thinking, teamwork and clinical decision-making in a safe learning environment.

The center can simulate a wide range of healthcare situations, from medical complications and trauma to labor and delivery, hospice care and emergency response. During the past academic year, the center facilitated more than 15,500 student learning hours for students in nursing and other health-related disciplines.

The Nabholz Center also supports students across the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences through interprofessional education experiences designed to mirror the collaborative nature of healthcare delivery. Its mission is to help students apply knowledge, skills and abilities in providing safe, effective and holistic care for diverse populations.

To earn accreditation, a simulation program must demonstrate at least two years of successful operations and outcomes in areas such as teaching, assessment, research and systems integration. The accreditation is valid for five years and requires annual reporting to ensure continued excellence and improvement.

The center was named in recognition of support from the Nabholz family and serves as a hub for innovative teaching, workforce preparation and research in healthcare education.

Among those recognized during the celebration at UCA Integrated Health Sciences were honored guest Charles Nabholz (founder of Nabholz Construction), simulation co-coordinator and certified simulation operations specialist Sarah Luyet, simulation technicians Tiffany Hall and Diana Burks, and members of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and Arkansas Center for Nursing.