HEALTH

West Coast University-Miami’s Simulation Lab Gives Rise to Tech-Savvy Nursing Grads

“In a modern-day hospital, everything is electronic,” said West Coast University’s (WCU) Simulation and Skills Lab Manager Douglas Shaw. “Students have to be comfortable interfacing with technology. It’s a big part of who we are today as nurses.”

Driven by the occupational outlook for tech-savvy nurses1, West Coast University-Miami gives nursing students a competitive edge by offering access to advanced healthcare technology in its Simulation Lab. Faculty members provide students with experiences similar to ones registered nurses face every day, using high-fidelity manikins that mimic human responses and current healthcare technology in realistic patient care settings.

“We can replicate any scenario that you can think of, and the students can participate fully," said Shaw. “For example, WCUMiami students are not able to push IV medications in their clinical rotations, which is paramount to practice but, when they start as a nurse, they’re still expected to know how to do it. That’s where Simulation comes in.”

WCU-Miami Nursing Instructor Christina Serrano adds, “One of the things I focus on that excites the students are the cardiac monitors and how to use a defibrillator when a patient has a cardiac arrest. We bring those scenarios to life here in the Simulation Lab.”

Simulation is proven to help nursing students hone their clinical reasoning skills before entering the workforce. Up to 50 percent of clinical hours can be replaced by simulations, according to research by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)2 .

“We mirror everything that a hospital does, said Serrano. “Our cardiac monitors are those of the hospital. Our IV pumps are those of the hospital. Students are using an Electronic Health Record (EHR) like those in the hospital as early as their first nursing course in the clinical and simulation settings.”

More than 95 percent of hospitals possess EHR technology, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology3. By the time WCU-Miami students graduate, they have years of experience with EHR in the Simulation Lab. This access helps them to gain the skills needed to confidently enter the nursing field with a strong understanding of this prominent healthcare technology.

“We use the Electronic Health Records to tell the patient’s story using technology. All the patient information is in the computer and prompts providers so they don’t forget a piece of the story, as well as alerts students when they’re going to make a potential mistake,” explains

Shaw. WCU-Miami students gain handson experience in the Simulation Lab every week. For five hours each week, students have the time to develop critical skills and experience countless scenarios. Their time in the

Simulation Lab is supplemented with unlimited access to the Skills Lab, which is open six days a week for students to utilize at their leisure.

This allows students to build on their clinical experience and apply what they learned in their didactic courses.

“We run on three instructional pillars: didactic, clinical, and simulation. That’s what attributes to the success of our students,” said Shaw. “By the time our students go on to treat real patients, they’ve got a real handle on the skills needed and are more confident in their abilities.”

1. “Why Nurses Need to Embrace Technology.” Nurse Advisor Magazine, http://nurseadvisormagazine.com/tn-exclusive/whynurses-need-to-embrace-technology/ 2. “Up to 50% of clinical hours can be replaced by simulations.” Wolters Kluwer, https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/upto-50-of-clinical-hours-can-be-replaced-by-simulations 3. Sonal Parasrampuria, MPH and Jawanna Henry, MPH. “Hospitals’ Use of Electronic Health Records Data, 2015-2017.” HealthIT.gov, https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/page/201904/AHAEHRUseDataBrief.pdf

West Coast University is accredited by WASC Senior College of University Commission (WSCUC), a regional accreditation body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). 1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 402 Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 7489001 / https://www.wscuc.org

The Nursing Baccalaureate and Master’s Degree Programs at all campuses are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). 655 K Street, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, (202) 8776791, https://www.aacnnursing.org

WCU offers career placement assistance but cannot guarantee employment.

The opinion is the individual’s sole opinion and not necessarily representative of that of the school, any instructor, or any student.

Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, the University has moved some of the on-ground courses into a distance education modality. However, as soon as the COVID-19 circumstances change, students will be expected to return on campus to complete their program onsite in the regular learning modality as approved by WSCUC and outlined in the university catalog.