Facilities - White Hall
White Hall is a handicapped-accessible building divided into a teaching wing, faculty offices, and support/administrative space.
The faculty wing in the south part of the building consists of 49 faculty and graduate assistant offices with three research/conference rooms for faculty use. Students meet their faculty advisors and professors in their offices.
The two-story teaching wing on the north side of the building is divided into three clinical laboratories, three classrooms, 11 seminar/conference rooms, a 160-seat auditorium, and a large media/study room.
Simulation learning is the most important trend in nursing education today. The University of Rhode Island College of Nursing is dedicated to providing the best hands-on learning experiences for their nursing students to prepare them for 21st century nursing practice. The undergraduate nursing program is providing learning opportunities in their simulation labs as early as the sophomore year.
Room 107 is a patient care laboratory primarily used by students learning fundamental bedside nursing skills. There are seven "patient care" areas, as well as space for classroom teaching.
Room 101 is equipped for teachingcomplex medical-surgical skills. It contains a two-bed critical care simulation unit, home to SimMan, a realistic life-like patient simulator that breathes and talks; has heart, lung and bowel sounds, palpable pulses as well as blood pressure, ECG and pulse oximetry monitoring, and other high-tech capabilities. His roommate is Vital Anne with many of the same technological and teaching capabilities. In addition, this unit provides other "state-of-the-art" technology that is routinely found in ICU/CCU settings. These simulators can also be adapted to replicate the effects of toxic agents to provide students with practice with "patients" who have been exposed to nuclear, biological, and chemical agents through terrorism and natural disasters.
Additional manikins are housed in rooms 101 and 107 including two with heart, lung, and bowel sounds and BP capability and two "older adult" manikins. A cardiac EKG rhythm strip simulator is available for student learning as well.
Across the hall Room 106 is designated as the parent-child health laboratory. It contains a simulated neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In it is SimBaby, designed for simulation and practice of a range of infant patient care procedures including advanced skills practice. Nearby, VitalKid, a human-like reproduction of a 6-year-old male, provides high-tech pediatric care experiences.
This room also contains a simulated maternity-birthing lab with a maternal and neonatal birthing simulator. This full-size, female simulator is designed to provide a complete birthing experience before, during and after delivery. Students learn to care for the mother and fetus before birth, and the mother and newborn after birth. As an undergrad, students can help in the birthing process. As a graduate student in midwifery, the student can actually deliver the baby under normal or abnormal circumstances.
Rooms 102 and 110 can be used as conference or laboratory space. Both are carpeted with seminar tables and chairs. Room 110 is furnished with a small kitchen area as well and is used for faculty/student receptions.
The White Hall Auditorium is located in Room 113. It serves as a classroom as well as a venue for special events.
The second floor of the north wing houses three large classrooms, several small seminar rooms, the student lounge and the Media Center.
The Media Center is located in Room 205 across from the classrooms. It is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (check the posted hours on the door).
Computer software providing virtual learning experiences accompany many of the simulated lab experiences to prepare students for real-world encounters. All of these learning opportunities help students transition comfortably into all the clinical environments and become effective practitioners and critical care team members.
The Media Center houses current copies of health care and research journals, graduate student major papers/theses, nursing texts and assigned readings for certain nursing courses.
In the Media Center, one can also access the Internet, library resources, computer assisted instruction programs and productivity software.
Outside of the Media Center a coin operated copy machine furnished and serviced by the URI Library is available for student use.
The White Hall Commons was dedicated in 2006. This large contemporary space serves as a comfortable meeting and study area for our students. It was designed around "coffee house" concept with nooks for solo study and tables for group study. There are quiet and noisy areas built into the design, as well as snack machines to accommodate the needs of hungry students. The room is wireless and open most days from 8am to 8pm.
