MUNCIE, Ind. -- The cast of television's "E.R." would feel at home among the classrooms in Cooper Science Building at Ball State University.

Bodies with gaping wounds lie on examination tables. Assorted tubes protrude from other patients while white-clad attendants attempt to unravel their mysteries.

For now, the patients are only mannequins and their ailments simulated. Kay Hodson Carlton wants student nurses to feel at home before facing such scenarios for real.

Hodson Carlton, professor of nursing, is director of the Ball State School of Nursing's Health Care Learning Resource Center and a recently-named Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (AAN).

The prestigious designation recognizes outstanding contributions to nursing and health care beyond those required in one's position. Fellows are selected by a committee composed of 10 elected and five appointed AAN members.

Hodson Carlton will be honored at the AAN's annual meeting Nov. 13-16 in Washington, D.C. Her work has encompassed such technology applications as simulations, computerized healthcare systems, distance education and electronic networking.

The simulation and technology oriented Health Care Learning Resource Center at Ball State houses an 18-bed simulated health care facility along with 40 networked computers, nine interactive video computers and laser disk players. Many simulations use computer-assisted instruction programs.

"Students in all nursing programs use the facility," Hodson Carlton said. "At any one time, there are five or six different class activities occurring."

As in an actual hospital, students perform a variety of clinical procedures ranging from IV preparation and injections to wound care. The center supports practice and mastery of basic and advanced nursing skills while developing student confidence.

"It's less stressful for students to learn techniques in simulation instead of having to face live patients for the first time," Hodson Carlton said. "We hope the public can see that our students have the utmost confidence in their skill performance."

In addition to learning to feel at home in a hospital setting, students also use an apartment-like "WELLcome Home Room" to learn to feel at home in a patient's home.

"The trend is moving away from hospital settings toward home care," Hodson Carlton said. "Our community health students work with families though the lifespan. Whether it's a family with a young child or a 91-year-old just out of the hospital, students need to know what adaptations are needed to make a home safe."

Hodson Carlton said the center has links to support units within the university and beyond. It is the site of seminars, faculty skill demonstrations and student performance evaluations.

"There is a lot of interest in collaborative problem-solving work with other disciplines, such as social work and architecture," she said. "It's not unusual for us to have visitors from across the country,"