Would the
patient pull through? With his wife struggling to maintain her composure and
the patient’s condition worsening, there was little time for uncertainty.
Fortunately, there was room for error. The new Simulation Lab (SIM lab)
on the Fourth Floor at the Downtown Campus uses high-fidelity technology and
manikins (“dummies”) to give Nursing students an opportunity to apply classroom
skills in realistic clinical scenarios.
 |
|
(Seated
in red coat) Mary Ballou Reynolds Williams, widow of J. Sargeant Reynolds,
looks on in suspense as Nursing students perform life-saving measures during
the simulation.
|
“Clinical
confidence is so important,” says David, a Reynolds Nursing student. “I want to
convey competence to all of my future patients. The new simulation lab helped
to instill that in a lowered stress, comfortable environment totally conducive
to learning and immediate feedback.”
As in a
hospital setting, the condition of a simulated patient changes based upon
student actions and treatment. Because of this, new high fidelity
simulation that mimics the most realistic experience of a human allows students
to understand the consequences of a plan of action or treatment in a safe
setting.
 |
| Dr. Christi Blottner, Professor of Nursing at Reynolds, believes healthcare delivery is a “team sport.” Simulation helps students apply skills and collaborate as a group in a safe learning environment. |
Outfitting
the SIM Lab was made possible through financial donations to the J. Sargeant
Reynolds Community College Educational Foundation. Supporters of the project
and Nursing scholarship donors were invited to witness a simulation. Playing
the roles of a team of healthcare professionals, students brought their patient
back from the brink, as donors breathed a sigh of relief and gave them a
rousing round of applause at the end of the exercise.
