The Simulation Center

This year we have two new people working in our clinical simulation center and have they ever brought things together. I have done one high fidelity simulation with my nursing fundamentals class and I know that Kim has done at least one for her health assessment class. All assisted by Leanne and Jayne, our simulation gurus.

Today the nursing faculty spent the afternoon discussing simulation and how to most effectively incorporate it into our courses. The possibilities are endless. There are many different types of simulations of differing levels of fidelity. I always do a simulated exercise for the last lab of nursing fundamentals, but I use real people who act as patients. This is called "standardized patients", though I don't use actors, just Donna and Bill and Bruce, and Dave if he's here.


The high fidelity manikin is called I-Stan. He has all the bells and whistles and can be a little intimidating to students (and to instructors as well if the truth be told). Just this week the lab also received a mother and baby--she actually gives birth.


I find that some of the lower fidelity stuff is actually more effective for most of what I teach. Some of the visuals that they showed us today are really great.



This is the lab where I hang out on Sunday afternoons with my class of first year nursing students. The students usually enjoy this course because it is very hands on and they begin to feel that they are real nurses.