The WVJC Nursing Department is excited to announce that we have received a state-of-the-art mannequin for our nursing skills lab. Nursing students will be learning skills and thinking critically in our new state-of-the-art simulation lab! By using a high-fidelity mannequin that talks, has heart and lung sounds, and has the capacity to do a 12-lead EKG, plus many more realistic features, faculty will be able to mimic a real patient scenario with a real problem in a real hospital setting.
As healthcare changes, nurses are expected to hit the ground running with high-level decision-making skills, as well as technological and problem-solving abilities. Simulation has been accepted in nursing education as a valuable tool to let nurses have a variety of experiences that may not be available during their hospital rotations. For example, students may not see a cardiac arrest or an asthma attack during their time in clinical rotations. With simulation, students can practice their decision-making skills in a controlled environment. Errors in judgment can be identified and discussed, and best practices can be reinforced. WVJC students are required to pre-plan for their “patient,” come to the lab, take care of their “patient,” and then participate in post-conference for debriefing.
Simulation experiences will not replace hospital experiences but will add to students’ clinical knowledge. Research demonstrates that students feel more confident in the hospital setting after participating in simulation exercises. WVJC Nursing Simulation and ATI Coordinator, Dianne Phillips often quotes Coach Flint Wallace, “You play like you practice,” as well as, “I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” Therefore, WVJC wants to ensure students have the opportunity to practice as many real-world critical care situations as possible. We are so excited we have the opportunity to offer this to students!
To learn more about WVJC’s simulation lab, request information here!