PUC’s Nursing Department Strengthens Program by Purchasing an Anatomage Table

The nursing department at Pacific Union College is thrilled to have new equipment that will help shape and strengthen its students’ education experience. 

Using Song-Brown funds—grant money funded by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, supporting nursing schools and workforce expansion in California—PUC's nursing department was able to purchase an anatomy table that students can start using in the new year. 

This state-of-the-art technology is the most advanced human-based medical education system, offering digitized human cadavers and medical tools. Currently, 80 colleges, universities, and medical programs across California utilize the table. For PUC, the anatomage table will better prepare pre-nursing students to take required prerequisite courses like biology, chemistry, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology. 

“We felt this table and the resource of having five human cadavers would be beneficial not just in pre-nursing but also as the students progress into nursing,” said PUC Dean of Nursing & Health Science Kimberly Dunker. “For the visual learners, this is an opportunity to utilize case study learning and understand and critically think about a medical problem but also visualize this problem in the body. It is a great way to incorporate teaching and learning for all types of learners.”

In addition to this technology, the School of Sciences utilizes gross anatomy cadavers in their hands-on lab environment, creating an experiential learning tool for those who are interested in advanced anatomy learning. 

Dunker shared that students and faculty are ready to use the anatomage table, and the School of Sciences is excited to collaborate on teaching strategies with colleagues. Students will first use the anatomage table in anatomy, pathophysiology and medical-surgical, foundations of nursing, and critical care nursing. The School of Sciences will then utilize it for advanced anatomy and histology classes. 

With this new technology, PUC nursing students have a tremendous opportunity to grow their learning in the classroom with enhanced strategies while engaging with advanced technology.