Simulation Lab to Provide Hands-On Training

GBMC is dedicated to putting the patient first and providing the best, safest care possible. A new simulation lab being built on campus is another step to ensuring that caregivers are able to do just that. Through the lab, scheduled to be completed in early 2012, nurses and other patient care staff at GBMC will be able to sharpen their skills and teamwork.The full-scale lab will have components such as an open skills area, simulation rooms and debriefing and control rooms.

“This will be an excellent tool in helping clinical staff get hands-on experience in a safe environment before applying training in real patient settings,” says Lynn Marie Bullock, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Administrative Director, Nursing Education. It will house high fidelity patient simulator mannequins, which range from adult to child and infant. “The mannequins are able to talk and blink. You can hear them breathe and even administer medications that will flow through their bodies,” says Lynn Marie.

The lab will be beneficial not only in helping caregivers hone in on technical skills but also by providing team training. “This gives each individual the opportunity to practice his or her role in various situations and emergencies, alleviating confusion during a real event,” she says. The lab’s control room will allow caregivers to create scenarios so that they learn how to handle an array of situations that could happen during their day-to-day interactions with patients. This way, providers can master techniques and learn from mistakes before they have a chance to occur during true patient care.

“Having a full-scale lab available at our facility will help us continue to offer academic care in a community hospital setting and is another step toward providing our patients with the best, safest care possible,” says Lynn Marie.