Continued: Manikins
When students train with the manikins, faculty often videotape the sessions and replay student responses. Students can see whether a particular response helped or harmed the patient – and learn from their experiences in a nonthreatening environment.
“This helps you gauge your bedside manner, your reaction time, how well you work with other people,” Gilmore-Hope said. “It lets you see yourself in a real situation.”
The College of Nursing has four high-fidelity manikins, including the patient SimMan that believes he’s dying, and a high-fidelity birthing pair, named Noelle and Hal, that can be programmed for problems associated with pregnancy and delivery. Other manikins, which are considered “low fidelity,” provide valuable experience in training nurses for specific tasks, such as taking blood pressure, assessing heart and lung sounds, inserting intravenous needles and caring for wounds and ulcers.
Dr. Peggy Hewlett, dean of the College of Nursing, said the CSL experience is an important addition to nursing education.
“Having the Clinical Simulation Lab is part of the College of Nursing’s efforts to provide our students with a quality education that will prepare them for the demands of their profession,” said Hewlett. “This intense learning experience challenges our students at every level. And they love it!”