HJAR May/Jun 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2026 43 Cristena E. Cook, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CEN, CNEpv Assistant Professor of Nursing Baptist Health College Strengthening Readiness for Clinical Practice What I have personally witnessed in my classroom is remarkable. For me as an instructor, the greatest reward has been seeing students’ hesitancy transform into confidence. Students are not only engaged and creative, but they also demonstrate noticeable improvement in their ability to apply abstract classroom knowledge to re- alistic life scenarios. Several students have stated that this activity “made it click” in a way traditional lectures never could. In a state where wound care demands are high, preparing our future nurses with innovative, cost-effective, hands-on learn- ing is essential. By integrating these sim- ulation-based activities directly into the traditional lecture setting, we bridge the gap between theory and the bedside, basic content memorization and development of true clinical judgment. I believe that moments of creative, ex- perimental learning are where real growth is seen and true readiness for practice hap- pens. I challenge you to think outside the box and get creative to meet the needs of your students to ensure the future nurses of Arkansas are prepared to take on any- thing. n REFERENCES 1 “The Burden of Obesity: Arkansas,” American Diabetes Association, May 8, 2025, https:// diabetes.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/the- burden-of-obesity-arkansas-05-08-25.pdf; “Heart Disease Remains Arkansas’s Leading Killer: Know the Signs and Call 9-1-1,” press release, Arkansas Department of Health, February 2, 2026, https://healthy.arkansas.gov/article/heart- disease-remains-arkansass-leading-killer-know- the-signs-and-call-9-1-1/. 2 S. MacLean et al., “Use of Simulation-Based Education to Improve Wound Care Practice Amongst Registered and Nursing Students: An Integrative Review,” Clinical Simulation in Nursing 104 (2025): 101758, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ecns.2025.101758. 3 E. Sezgunsay and T. Basak, “The Effectiveness of Moulage in Improving Nursing Students’ Pressure Injury Assessment Skills,” Clinical Simulation in Nursing 42 (2020): 12–18. 4 H. Rich, “Moulage Recipes,” City of Los Angeles Community Emergency Response Team, 2007, https://www.cert-la.com/downloads/moulage/ moulage-recipes.pdf. Cristena E.Cook,DNP,APRN,FNP-C,CEN,CNEpv, is an assistant professor of nursing at and an alumna of Baptist Health College in Little Rock.She earned her doctoral degree in nursing practice fromChamberlain University. She has clinical experience working in emergency medicine and specializes in high-fidel- ity simulation, distance education, and innovative teaching strategies. Figure 2 A collection of wound simulation materials on a table, including bottles of cosmetic liquids, acrylic paints, sponges, three re-closable plastic bags containing simulated homemade skin clay, and medical supplies. Figure 1 A simulated wound with necrotic tissue or bruising and signs of infection.