UMass Boston

Support & Enhance Academics

The purpose of the Center for Clinical Education and Research (CCER) is to support and enhance the academic and clinical education of the students in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The overarching goal is to contribute to the development of knowledgeable, competent, compassionate registered nurses and health science professionals who are interested in life-long learning and who will enrich their profession and thereby positively impact the health and well-being of their clients.

• Integrate simulation, experiential learning strategies, and technology throughout the lab curriculum
• Promote student retention and success through individualized academic and clinical support services
• Provide knowledge and skill expanding workshops, and service learning opportunities for students.
• Enhance and promote client safety, quality health care and interdisciplinary communication by advocating for simulation use in the clinical education of health care professionals
• Participate in simulation research activities
• Provide continuing education and competency testing for students and health care professionals
• Provide  a training ground for graduate students and nurse educators in all phases of the simulation process
• Offer community health promotion and education activities to diverse populations
• Participate in bridge programs that promote exposure to health care careers for diverse middle and high school students

Our Commitment to the Environment

The Center for Clinical Education and Research (CCER) has created a recycling program, SimCycle, to address the issue of waste by decreasing single-use plastic waste. Clear bins with the SimCycle logo are dispersed throughout the skills labs, outpatient exam rooms, and the simulation suite to collect items for repurposing. Students dispose of intravenous tubing, fluid bags, and indwelling catheter kits after practicing their skills on task trainers. Under the direction of the lab manager, a team of work-study students, graduate teaching assistants, and simulation educators developed a cleaning and repackaging process that does not sacrifice the integrity of the product for additional practice.

SimCycle enhances student awareness of single-use plastics in health care and their impact on the environment. The program has demonstrated $11,035 in financial savings since its inception in March 2021. Collaboration between students and CCER staff has created a sustainable environment that enriches the educational culture in the nursing simulation lab.