Sim lab #1

This morning until noon was our first "Sim Lab." Our hospital education center has the Sim Man, which from the website states: SimMan® is a portable and advanced patient simulator for team training. SimMan® has realistic anatomy and clinical functionality. SimMan® provides simulation-based education to challenge and test students’ clinical and decision-making skills during realistic patient care scenarios. SimMan® includes well-proven software and an interactive technologically advanced manikin allowing learners to practice the emergency treatment of patients.

source:http://www.laerdal.com/document.asp?docid=1022609



Basically, he responds to the things you do to him like a real human. We used him during nursing school, too. It kind of creepy how he responds to things. For instance, even his pupils react to light. Freaky!

Anyway, they call him Max at our hospital, which makes me laugh because that's the name of my cat!!


We are broken into 4 groups with about 4-5 people in each. Today there were different stations for us to visit, half hour each.
First, we watched an AHA video on airway management, ambu bags, etc. We practiced compressions, etc. The program is set up so that if you don't have ACLS, you will receive bits and pieces of it over the next few months and then can become certified. I already am, but again, love the review. Especially since I have never been in a code, so the more practice I receive, the better.
Second, we went to the actual Sim Lab and listened to breath sounds; it was more of an introduction to "Max," so we could see how he normally sounds and then distinguish different adventitious sounds, which the instructors control through the computer. We then went over chest tubes and discussed how the next sim labs will operate. For instance, next week will be a code blue scenario. We'll each pick a number and it will determine if we're the team leader, drug pusher, compression person, etc. Eventually, we will all get to do each role.
The third station for today was on tracheostomies and the different kinds, etc.
Finally, we did an ABG "quiz," but we did it as a group and it was a very nice review!!

At the end, we all got together and did a little game of "beat-the-clock," which is kind of similar to the show "Password" where you get a word and then try to get that person to say it. This week was all about respiratory. My team came in 3rd, haha! It was hard and nerve-wracking, but a fun way to end the day. It was also a learning experience, too.

Our next modules cover cardiac. They give us two weeks for this since it is the most intense and difficult.