September 06, 2024

SWCC nursing program begins using $180K sim lab

By KELSEY HAUGEN
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One of the mannequins presents a deep wound above the ankle to be examined by a nursing student. The six mannequins in SWCC's sim lab are used for different clinical experiences. Some have wounds to be treated, while others are capable of experiencing serious medical conditions like a heart attack. (CNA photos)

The breathing, bleeding, groaning mannequins in the new simulation lab at Southwestern Community College (SWCC), which provide realistic clinical experiences for nursing students, are now in use.

“It’s a little eerie,” said Tom Lesan, SWCC vice president of economic development. “They can be programmed to blink their eyes, show pain – everything imaginable.”

The sim lab in the Allied Health and Science Center houses six full-body wireless patient simulators: two SimMan Essential bleeding mannequins, three Nursing Anne mannequins and one Nursing Kid mannequin. The $182,657 sim lab, fully paid for by a U.S. Department of Labor grant, was completed at the end of May. SWCC students began working in the lab this week.

On Tuesday evening, the SWCC board of directors attended a demonstration of the sim lab, led by Susan White, SWCC director of nursing, and Brooke Owen, simulation lab coordinator.

“They (the mannequins) can do so much more than I anticipated,” White said. “To be able to change their lung sounds, heart rates and bowel sounds is really something.”

The mannequins can be programmed to show students the differences between healthy patients and patients suffering a variety of health issues – from a common cold to a serious condition like a heart attack.

The lab requires lots of expensive equipment, including the mannequins, laptops, mannequin control software, medication dispense units, simulation viewing system and simulation control unit.

A SWCC instructor works in the control room, programming the patient simulator through a wireless computer network, while a student works with the patient in the faux hospital room. While the student treats the patient, a video camera captures his or her work. Afterward, the instructor debriefs each student individually, points out errors and offers advice for improvement.

“The cameras are a learning tool, not a disciplinary tool,” Lesan said. “I think that’s the part that is going to be really beneficial.”

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 100,000 patients die due to medical errors in the U.S. each year. Sim labs allows students to learn from their mistakes in a realistic setting without endangering lives.

“It also builds their confidence and improves their communication and teamwork skills,” White said.