 Nursing student Andrea Gallardo, a sophomore from Wichita, Kan., works to assess the clinical scenario for SimMan, a computerized mannequin in the nursing skills lab. Then she will select the appropriate nursing interventions. |
by Phil Richard
The nursing skills lab on the Hesston College campus is being upgraded to resemble a realistic hospital setting. Gone are the days of starting an IV on a nervous fellow student.
Over time, faculty, students, and alumni have realized that a major lab upgrade would improve the health of an otherwise vital nursing program. “The more realistic we can make the lab, the less anxiety students experience when they begin clinicals in a hospital setting,” explained nursing faculty member Sondra Leatherman, who coordinates campus lab activities and supplies. “The updated lab will also make students’ learning more relevant.”
The first addition was SimMan, a computerized mannequin that operates as close to a real person as possible. Use of the expensive technological marvel began during the Fall semester 2006. “SimMan enables the student to practice assessing the patient in a clinical scenario, then select appropriate nursing interventions,” Leatherman said.
“We can program a variety of clinical scenarios,” she said. “One example is a 72-year old man who has congestive heart failure. We program SimMan to have abnormal breath sounds, with one lung normal and one lung abnormal, so the novice student can learn to detect the difference.
“We can also program SimMan so that if the student doesn’t do an intervention, SimMan’s condition continues to deteriorate,” she said. “This change in patient status pushes students to prioritize their interventions.”
Nursing Anne came to the nursing lab in late September 2007. Less complex, she is run by a Vital Signs simulator control unit and can simulate ECGs, heart tones, bowel and breath sounds, and basic vital signs. Along with her came wound modules. “For example, we have a surgical incision module and a mastectomy site with a drain,” Leatherman said. “These different types of modules help the student care for various wounds and improve assessment skills.” Leatherman said.
In the summer of 2006, two hospital rooms with glass walls were created within the lab. Functioning equipment headwalls were added at the bedside in August 2007. These improvements allow students to practice and receive faculty feedback in a patient room environment similar to those they encounter in the hospital setting.
Still forthcoming and critical to the upgrade are laptop computers, work stations, and charting software. “The increasing use of technology in nursing drives our need for charting software for student practice,” she said.
Other items in the planning include scrub sink renovations, a programmable electronic security system, refurbished beds, and a wide range of additional skills simulation equipment.
“With the nationwide shortage of nurses, nursing programs in Kansas are expanding,” Leatherman said. “That results in increased demand for hospital clinical sites. Fifteen percent of clinical time can be simulation, so many nursing programs are using simulators to address the need for clinical experiences,” she said. “With a lab capable of simulation and reflecting current technology like is seen at regional hospitals, Hesston College students can enter their clinical experiences with confidence and thorough preparation to care for their assigned clients.”
Funds for the upgrades to the college’s nursing skills lab have come from nursing alumni and friends of the nursing program. So far, $42,636 has been raised, with $57,364 of the $100,000 goal still needed.
To contribute, contact Bonnie Sowers, director of Nursing, 620-327-8140, e-mail: bonnies@hesston.edu.