GREAT FALLS — The University of Providence in Great Falls is celebrating the opening of its new state-of-the-art Nursing Skills Lab, a facility that University leaders say will transform nursing education while addressing Montana’s growing healthcare workforce needs.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video here:
The lab is part of the university’s four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, the first of its kind based in Great Falls. School officials say it gives students a chance to build hands-on experience in real-world scenarios before entering a clinical setting.
The Skills Lab includes private patient rooms, a dedicated medication preparation space, and high-fidelity mannequins designed to simulate everything from routine checkups to medical emergencies. The goal is to help students develop confidence, communication skills, and clinical judgment in a safe learning environment.
Deanna Thompson, the Director of the Vander Werff BSN Program, says, “This creates a really safe, compassionate area where students can grow, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, but also celebrate those victories without the pressure of having a patient in front of them the first time that they're doing a skill.”
Students say the lab marks a major step forward for the program, which launched just a few years ago. The first class of students in the BSN program are currently juniors, and have seen the program grow in just a short time. Nursing student Alexis Devries says, “Just seeing how much the school has developed throughout our journey. Like, as freshman, we didn't really have this. And now coming here with all the mannequins and how much has been put into the program, it's just insane.”
The new facility reflects a legacy that stretches back more than 90 years. In 1932, the Sisters of Providence, in collaboration with the Ursuline Sisters, founded what was then the College of Great Falls. Nurses trained at Columbus Hospital were given a path to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing, rooted in the mission to prepare graduates not only for careers but also for a life of service.
Providence graduates have gone on to serve in hospitals, schools, and clinics across Montana, many providing the first line of care in rural communities. University leaders say the new simulation lab builds on that foundation.
With Montana hospitals facing persistent nursing shortages, University of Providence officials say the lab is more than just a teaching tool, it’s an investment in the future of healthcare across the state and the region.
