State of the Art Nursing Simulation Lab at Lakehead U Opens
By Scott A. Sumner
Thunder Bay Business
Karen Poole, Director for the School of Nursing at Lakehead University was on hand to launch the new nursing lab at Lakehead University.
Today we are launching our clinical simulation lab and the equipment we were able to purchase with $850,000 that ourselves and Confederation received from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Nursing. This was a great opportunity to provide a technology based learning environment to nursing students. My understanding is our learners are so different than they were 5- 10- 20 years ago. They have grown up with a technology learning environment so we had the opportunity to create laboratory that are really virtual patient scenarios and allow patients to learn and practice in a safe environment, smiles Poole. All of health care is technology based and is in tune with what we are seeing in health care. It adds fun and enjoyment in the learning environment.
At Lu we have a 4 year Bsc Nursing and a three compressed version of the program using faculty from both institutions teaching and this proposal was a shared program. We have just under 500 students in the Nursing 4 year and 3 year compressed programs, notes Poole. There is a global shortage of nurses and are happy to help in the area. Many of our students start from high school but our average student age is the mid 20 s with more men now choosing nursing.We have simulated mannequins to respond when we care and treat them. To practice before the students work with real people is very safe. For example there is a virtual IV where students can practice inserting an IV.
Caroline Byrnes, PHD from University of Ontario geared to technology- Oshawa wa in attendance at the official opening. You are far beyond the rest of the province in telehealth. Today we are sharing our experience of the last year having worked with the equipment in Oshawa, smiles Byrnes.
The students can learn in an emergency situation and are really in a virtual hospital The mannequins are hooked up to computer and can breath normally and then that changes for the student to react to. We can film them and look at the things that were right or wrong. It is a very nice way to break down the procedure. This is the same type of thing done by pilots in a simulator. The mannequins even talk. If a person isnt breathing they rush in and do CPR.
Shane Strickland is a faculty member at Lakehead U and Marie McEwen, Coordinator of Simulation for the University of Ontario. We did a medical scenario learning how to insert an IV to hit the right artery. The computer grades how you did.There is some variance but it is as close as possible. It gives the student a chance to look at the scenario, think about what they are doing, what is going on with that patient and what equipment would be appropriate to use. Where is the best site to use, notes Strickland. Critical thinking is absolutely key. It is all of our theory and knowledge to determine that this is the best course of action and seeing if the patient responds afterwards. Any profession that you are in you want as much knowledge as you can obtain.
