Nursing students who served selflessly in the February 22 earthquake in New Zealand were not only hailed as unsung heroes, but also achieved a 100% pass rate for graduation last week.

All 80 graduating students of Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) missed the entire last semester of their studies and offered hundreds of unpaid hours of medical assistance in residential care facilities when the magnitude-6.3 quake struck.

Executive director of nursing Mary Gordon regarded the graduates as “brilliant” as they helped out wherever they were needed and did whatever was needed to be done.

“The efforts of CPIT’s students in the nursing student volunteer army proved crucial to the continued delivery of health and disability services across the region at this most difficult time,” she said.

A 100 percent pass rate was normal in the nursing school, according to CPIT nursing and human services head of school Cathy Andrew, but with the occurrence of the quake staff became uncertain that it would still be achievable.

Students made up for missed classes by attending two days at Lincoln University, where staff condensed the semester’s essential information. Students reviewed the rest of the academic course materials at the CPIT website where it was uploaded.

Top paying states for Registered Nurses as of May 2010 according to hourly mean wage:

1.    California              -      $42.06

2.   Massachusetts     –     $40.86

3.   Hawaii                     –     $39.48

4.  Alaska                      -     $38.15

5.  Maryland               –     $36.76

6.  New Jersey            -     $36.27

7.  Oregon                    -     $36.23

8.  Nevada                   –     $36.21

9.  New York              -     $35.58

10. Connecticut        -     $35.51

Information provided from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Nursing students of Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing have something to look forward to. The college opened on Monday a nursing simulation laboratory building to better prepare practitioners with the basic skills in this field before they set out in the real world.

The $2.7million simulated hospital unit at Locust Street and Normal Avenue, Normal is part of the college’s ongoing effort to respond to the nationwide need for more well-trained nurses as a commitment to the state of Illinois, according to nursing college Dean Janet Krejci. It’s all of 10,000-square foot with assessment labs and four simulated private patient rooms with five, high-fidelity patient simulators.

Nursing students are guided by faculty members, can now practice basic skills such as taking pulses and blood pressure, starting IVs and treating wounds in a more interactive setting. The new generation of patient simulators are more realistic and can blink their eyes, make breathing sounds and, best of all, can be programmed by faculty members to hemorrhage, experience heart failure, and make bowel sounds. They can also ask students: “Who are you?” “What are you doing?” and “Where am I?” which students have to respond to and encourage them to become nursing advocates and not just clinical experts. As they progress, more complicated scenarios will be presented to students.