Macon State College School of Nursing

The Challenge

Like many nurse educators across the country, faculty at Macon State College School of Nursing and Health Sciences in Macon, Georgia wanted a patient simulator to augment student lab and clinical experience.

A Laerdal SimMan® simulator was purchased a year ago for the Associate Degree Nursing program, but educators found themselves underutilizing the product. SimMan was only being used for basic identification of heart and lung sounds.

The Customer

The School of Nursing and Health Sciences offers Associate and Bachelor degrees in specialty programs designed to produce qualified graduates for entry level and enhanced roles in patient care within all health care facilities.

The Journey

Sirena Fritz, Assistant Professor of Nursing, said she and her fellow educators originally looked at writing their own scenarios, “but that was not an option.” She cited staff time and knowledge restraints.

The Discovery

She happened upon some promotional material regarding Laerdal’s SimMan® Nursing Scenarios, and realized they were the only ones validated by the National League for Nursing.

The Solution

The “NLN Simulation in Nursing Education Scenarios” package the school purchased is specifi cally designed for nurse educators. The 20 preconfigured scenarios - 10 surgical and 10 medical - challenge students at different levels. The package includes basic and advanced scenarios with cases ranging from obtaining vital signs to recognizing and managing lifethreatening complications. And the scenarios are mapped to the 2007 NCLEX!

The Implementation

Fritz said that after purchasing the scenario package, a Laerdal representative visited the Macon State College site, installed the scenarios and gave a brief in-service. The session lasted about 2 ½ hours. Fritz said she ran a scenario the very next day.

The Results

Fritz believes the scenarios and simulation have had an impact on students. “They thought it was great! They loved the interactive learning.” She said the scenarios have changed how SimMan is used. NLN Scenarios have been implemented into summer coursework and additional courses in the fall. Fritz said she recommends the scenarios to others.

Macon State College offers a number of quality healthcare programs in patient care and non-patient care careers. Healthcare careers are experiencing rapid growth in both the number of jobs and in the types of opportunities available. The mission of the Nursing Programs is to provide quality education and to prepare competent graduates who are committed to health promotion and illness prevention while providing quality care to individuals and families in a rapidly changing and increasingly global environment. For more information, visit http://www.maconstate.edu/nursing.

Laerdal Medical, one of the world’s leading providers of Healthcare Solutions, is dedicated to helping save lives with products and services for Simulation, Airway Management, Immobilization, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, Patient Care, Self-Directed Learning, and Medical Education. We also offer a complete line of Education and Technical Services, Courseware and Consulting Services. Laerdal is pleased to serve all healthcare providers and educators, from the lay rescuer to the medical professional. For more information, visit http://www.laerdal.com.