Case Study: Briar Cliff University achieves clinical equivalency and boosts pelvic exam confidence with 3D Systems' PELVIC Mentor

How the Pelvic Mentor Is Used in Nurse Practitioner Programs

Briar Cliff University’s graduate nursing program faced a major teaching challenge during the pandemic: pelvic exams are difficult to teach in a virtual or rushed clinical setting, and traditional plastic mannequins and limited standardized-patient encounters left many students underprepared. With on-site time reduced and some learners missing required clinical hours, faculty needed a realistic, repeatable way to build skill and confidence in pelvic assessment.

The university adopted 3D Systems’ PELVIC Mentor simulator, funded by a private donor and integrated into on-site labs and by-appointment practice sessions. The lifelike simulator provides anatomical feedback, pathology scenarios, and performance monitoring, allowing students to master technique before live patient encounters, make up clinical hours lost to COVID-19, and double simulator usage to support two cohorts—resulting in improved confidence, competence, and measurable skill development.

Briar Cliff University

Heather Stehr

Assistant Professor