One especially exciting aspect of this course is who will be teaching it. Research and Program Evaluation will be co-taught by two professors who taught us early in the program. Full-time faculty r…

Background: High staff turnover is a widespread issue across nearly all hospital departments, often exceeding 20% annually. This constant flux disrupts continuity of care and creates a recurring challenge: how to rapidly integrate new employees into complex clinical environments, both physically and functionally. Traditional onboarding methods struggle to meet this demand, particularly in services operating 24/7 such as emergency departments (EDs). Objective: This formative study presents the design and implementation of a web-based 3D gamified simulation platform aimed at improving staff onboarding in clinical environments. The paper outlines both the technical architecture—with guidance for hospital IT departments—and the acceptability and #usability for permanent staff, who play a key role in onboarding continuity. We sought to assess whether such a tool could be autonomously managed and well received by healthcare professionals. Methods: The intervention consists of two linked components: a real-time, browser-based 3D simulation replicating the hospital's ED, and a web-based quest editor allowing non-technical staff to update training content. The system supports self-paced onboarding through location-based tasks, object searches, quizzes, and simulated staff interactions. Two preliminary #usability studies were conducted: one with 37 ED staff members testing the 3D simulation, and another with nine users exploring the quest editor. Feedback was gathered through anonymous questionnaires and descriptive analysis. Results: Early results show high #feasibility and acceptability. Among 3D simulation testers, 90% found the tool helpful for understanding the department’s structure, and 81% believed it would be useful for new staff. The inclusion of personal anecdotes and gamified tasks was seen as engaging and motivating. The quest editor was positively rated by 91% of users, who appreciated the ability to autonomously update content without IT support. These findings support the dual promise of the platform: pedagogical flexibility and technical sustainability. Conclusions: This work demonstrates the #feasibility of a gamified simulation platform designed for high-turnover clinical environments. It highlights both the operational deployment framework and the early acceptability among key staff members. While further validation with actual new hires is needed, this formative study shows promising potential for generalization beyond emergency care. The modular and editable nature of the system makes it a viable solution for scalable onboarding in other hospital departments.

Following concern about virtual clinical hours in approved refresher courses, the Board of Examiners for Nursing asked the ReNurse Academy to return with an annual report and a focused presentation explaining how virtual clinical experience assures hands-on competency for RN and LPN refresher courses.

Southeast Technical College program director Jenna Ellerbusch described the invasive cardiology program’s curriculum, clinical partners and recent cohort counts, and highlighted new simulation equipment during the board’s regular meeting. The board formally acknowledged the update by voice vote.

LSU Health New Orleans told the committee it educates a majority of Louisiana’s physicians and dentists and is pursuing expanded regional clinical sites, a rural medical track, burn‑care research and a National Cancer Institute‑level cancer research program to retain clinicians and expand in‑state care.

Viewing families from a systemic perspective makes clear that a presenting issue is rarely just about the person in front of you. Anxiety, conflict avoidance, and loyalty often reveal how people ar…

Lampson program enhances clinical placements for nursing students with local hospital partnerships.

The most important factor I looked for was alignment, particularly in the services provided and the populations served. I want to make sure that my practicum experience is shaped by purposeful serv…

This was not part of the official schedule, and it was clear she was doing it simply because she cared. What followed was one of the most memorable experiences of the week. As I watched her work, I…

The highlight of this quarter is Residency II, an immersive in-person experience designed to sharpen our counseling skills through intensive practice and direct feedback from faculty and peers. I a…