Educational Facilities
The Mercy Hospital School of Nursing is a commuter school. The School is located on the UPMC Mercy campus, in the Uptown neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The School maintains three nursing arts laboratories, faculty offices, student lounge, classrooms, conference space, and a computer lab. Locker space is available for all students to store their belongings. In addition, a health science library is also maintained on the campus of UPMC Mercy.
Library
The Brady Library of the Health Sciences is dedicated to meeting the health care information needs of UPMC Mercy. The Library’s goal is to support the health professionals involved in patient care, education, research, and the community outreach programs of the hospital.
The Library is open and staffed Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. After-hours entry is available to MHSN students presenting a current UPMC Mercy ID badge.
The Library’s book collection consists of approximately 4,500 titles arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification System. Circulating texts are located on the back wall of the Library. Reference books, which do not circulate, are identified with yellow spine labels. The online catalog is available on MercyNet/BradyLibrary Electronic Resources.
The Library subscribes to more than 450 journal titles and 300 full-text online journals. Journals do not circulate. Audiotapes and National Continuing Medical Education (NCME) videotapes and CDs are available for loan.
Students may perform their own electronic searches of the medical literature by accessing MEDLINE, EBM Reviews, or HealthSTAR, which are available on MercyNet. Instructional sessions for using these databases can be arranged by contacting a Library staff person. The following clinical databases are available: Scientific American Medicine, Micromedex, and UpToDate.
Personal computers (PCs) are available for student use in the Library. The Library’s Computer Training Lab has PCs and docking stations for PDA devices. All computers are networked and have Internet access.
The Brady Library of the Health Sciences is an institutional member of the Basic Health Sciences Library Consortium (BHSL) for Region I of the Medical Library Network, Pittsburgh BHSL Region I and the Pittsburgh East Hospital Library.
Computer Lab
Computer resources are used to reinforce the learning and supplement the teaching of students. The Computer Lab has computer stations and access to a variety of nursing software programs. Software is available for NCLEX-RN preparation, for both MHSN students and graduates. Computers are networked to the hospital documentation system and Internet. Students also may have remote access to select nursing software programs.
The Computer Lab is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Nursing software is available to students for class assignments and supplemental assignments and remediation purposes.
Personal Computers
Students are highly encouraged to own a personal computer as MHSN is a paper-free school. Students are given email accounts and are expected to check emails at least once a day. School announcements are sent via email. Each nursing course also utilizes the Moodle Course Managment System. The pharmacology course is conducted online. Carlow University courses may have online components to them. Remedial activities for the nursing courses may also be online.
Nursing Arts Lab
Two four-bed Nursing Arts Lab, a simulated patient care unit equipped with a variety of manikins, models, and equipment, is available, with supervision to students. Additionally, a low fidelity simulation lab is available. Experiences in skills labs are a component of most of the nursing courses and assist students in gaining the knowledge and competency needed for delivery of client care.
Affiliations
The clinical facilities of UPMC Mercy are utilized for the majority of clinical experiences. Experiences are provided in various areas throughout the UPMC Mercy campus. Some local, off-campus experiences are used for pediatric and community courses. Students are responsible for transportation to the off-campus experiences.
Guidance and Counseling
Students who experience a personal problem, such as depression, family issues, emotional difficulties, stress, academic difficulty, or grief, may confidentially access the Student Counseling Program through LifeSolutions. This program entitles the student to a personal problem assessment interview, counseling, referral to the most appropriate professional, and follow-up services to ensure that the student’s needs are met. All calls are private and are kept completely confidential. LifeSolutions may be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-647-3327.
Security
As part of the Pre-Admission Orientation Day Program, students must attend the Fire Safety/Crime Prevention Program presented by the UPMC Mercy Security Department.
In compliance with Title II of Public Law 101-542, The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing maintains statistics related to crimes and provides an annual security report. These statistics reflect activities occurring throughout the entire UPMC Mercy campus and surrounding areas and parking lots, which also include the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing.