ABAC Nursing Simulation Lab 2026 - Between 2024 and 2025, Abrahman Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) graduated 179 ASN students, directly contributing to Georgia’s healthcare workforce and supporting access to affordable, high-quality care. In addition, ABAC graduated a further 45 bachelor’s degree students, contributing to one of the most successful programs in the region. The Nursing Simulation Lab project would lead directly to more, better prepared, healthcare professionals in the state and in the region. The Simulation Lab project includes minor renovation to outfit the existing lab space with a centralized control room and a comprehensive audio/visual management system, allowing students and instructors to collaborate more effectively, increasing realism and learning outcomes during their training. In addition, virtual dissection tables will be purchased to enhance bioscience instruction, deepen anatomical understanding, and reinforce the ASN programs' student pipeline. While much of the project will take place at ABAC’s main campus in Tifton, GA, one of the virtual dissection tables will be located at the Bainbridge GA instructional site. The need for this project is driven by persistent nursing workforce shortages that disproportionately affect rural communities. Georgia is projected to experience significant nursing shortages, creating significant challenges for healthcare access and population health outcomes. Rural Georgia faces additional barriers, including higher rates of chronic disease, limited healthcare resources, and ongoing difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified nurses. ABAC plays a vital role in addressing these workforce challenges by educating practice-ready nurses who often remain in the area to serve local communities. However, the limitations in the current instructional facility and educational technology are restrictive. This project directly addresses these barriers by strengthening simulation-based education, enhancing bioscience instruction, and increasing the number of qualified students entering and completing the nursing program. New simulation infrastructure, including a hospital-style headwall system, integrated diagnostic equipment, and a comprehensive video and audio management system, will support high-quality simulation experiences. The improvements will standardize debriefing and performance evaluation consistent with national simulation best practices. The project will also strengthen the nursing education pipeline through the purchase of two Anatomage virtual dissection tables. These tables advance instruction by providing interactive, three-dimensional visualization of anatomical structures, physiological systems, and pathology. The Anatomage tables will strengthen anatomy and physiology instruction, improve student preparedness, and increase the pool of qualified ASN applicants. These improvements will enhance educational quality, expand training capacity, strengthen the nursing pipeline, and increase the number of graduates prepared to serve rural and underserved communities. The project will support a sustainable nursing workforce and improve healthcare access across rural Georgia.
