Simulation Center Update

LUSON Simulation Center: Exciting Changes Happening Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated, “Change is the only constant in life,” and nothing could be truer when it comes to the LUSON Simulation Center. The Simulation Center has seen tremendous growth in multiple areas. New additions to personnel, equipment, and simulation scenarios have occurred in both undergraduate and graduate programs, providing increased student learning opportunities. These changes are in keeping with the accreditation standards set forth by our accrediting body, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).

Meet the Simulation Team

Lisa Foote, MSN, RN, CHSE, has joined the Simulation Center leadership team as the Executive Director of Simulation and Standardized Patients alongside Tara Smith, MSN, RN, CHSE, director of the undergraduate simulation program and Elizabeth “Elie” Green, MSN, RN, director of the APRN simulation program. Mrs. Foote has been an RN for 31 years, working at the bedside, in a public health department, and as an FNP in private practice. She has been involved in nursing education, both in the classroom and clinical for 21 years. She has spent the past 11 years providing nursing simulation education. Mrs. Foote holds a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) certification through SSH.

Joining Angie Holloman, BSN, RN, undergraduate Simulation Center coordinator on the undergraduate side, is Vickey Mason, AAS, BS, BSN, RN. From beginning as a certified nursing assistant in high school to becoming an RN, Mrs. Mason brings 41 years of nursing experience to the LUSON Simulation Center. Mrs. Mason has worked in all areas of nursing in her career, from pediatrics to critical care.

On the APRN side is the newest member of the team, Rebecca “Becky” Webb. Mrs. Webb is filling the role of APRN Simulation Center coordinator. Mrs. Webb brings 18 years of nursing experience to the team, with a background in surgery, obstetric nursing, orthopedic nursing, and, recently, school nursing.

In addition to live personnel, we are blessed to have added several new high-fidelity manikins to our simulation center. These include:

• Victoria: a high-fidelity OB manikin that can realistically deliver a newborn high-fidelity baby via natural birth or even c-section.

• SimMan 3G: an adult simulator able to provide realistic simulation experiences to students.

• 5 Nursing Anne Simulators: some of whom are geriatric patients, these simulators are designed for basic instruction all the way up to advanced practice.

• 2 Newborn Torys: newborn baby simulators that deliver true-to-life features enhancing the student learning opportunities in the maternal-child course.

Each of these simulators is used weekly to provide realistic, high-fidelity experiences for our students.

Simulation is an integral part of the learning process at LUSON. With the continued use of simulation, more and more of the faculty are incorporating simulation opportunities into their clinical courses. The LUSON Simulation Center has a repository of 51 clinical scenarios offered in various clinical courses at all levels in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Clinical scenarios are updated annually to include any changes or additions needed to ensure that nursing students receive the most up-to-date evidence-based encounter. Simulation-based learning experiences at LUSON include:

• Traditional simulation: a team of students work together to care for one simulated patient.

• Standardized patient simulation: a team of students work together to care for a live person or persons who are trained to portray a patient/patients in a scenario.

• Mixed simulation: different modalities are used. An example of this type would be the use of a manikin and a standardized patient (perhaps as a family member) in the scenario.

• Hybrid simulation: an example of this type would be attaching a task trainer (e.g., a chest with a tracheotomy) to a standardized patient.

• Interdisciplinary learning: 3 certificate programs offered at LUSON work together to care for simulated patient(s).

• Interprofessional education (IPE): students from one or more disciplines in a clinical scenario learning about, from, and with each other. Examples include collaboration with respiratory therapy students, aviation students, and medical students from LUCOM.

COVID-19 Simulation-based Learning Experiences in the Undergraduate Program

During the COVID-19 pandemic, additional help was needed at local hospitals to provide nursing care to COVID patients. To meet the need, LUSON participated in an academicpractice partnership with Centra Healthcare Leadership to meet requirements for the students to care for COVID patients in their clinical rotations. LUSON also partnered with Centra-Central Virginia Center for Simulation and Virtual Learning, Centra College of Nursing, and the University of Lynchburg to develop simulation-based experiences at two levels intermediate and critical care of a COVID patient. Undergraduate nursing students are required to participate in the appropriate level C19 simulation-based learning experience to meet requirements to safely care for COVID patients.

• Sophomore Level: Care of the Intermediate COVID-19 Patient

• Junior Level: Care of the Intermediate COVID-19 Patient, Patient with Chest Tube Requiring Blood Transfusion, and Care of a Patient with Respiratory Disorder

• Senior Level: Care of the Critical Care COVID-19 Patient, Revive Training/Lab, Community Post-Acute Care, End-of-Life scenario, and OB Critical Care Escape Room Lab

Increase in Simulation Use by the APRN Program

• The combined total of learner contact hours for APRN programs has increased 32% in the 2021-22 academic year.

• A twofold increase in FNP cohorts involved in simulation as compared to 2020-21 academic year.

• FNP students now receive more hands-on skills training and simulation hours than in past years.

• The new PMHNP program held the first NURS 769 intensive in Summer 2021, which included new learning stations (i.e., play therapy and “visits” to the community setting) as well as the creation and completion of new standardized patient case scenarios and telehealth cases, in keeping with current trends in healthcare.

• The Advanced Health Assessment for Nurse Practitioners, NURS 712, has doubled the amount of standardized patient cases since the 2020-21 academic year.

• An interdisciplinary collaboration between the APRN program and the School of Engineering. The collaboration has focused on developing teaching and training models for FNP students. Engineering has created “toenails” using 3D printing to allow students multiple opportunities to practice matrixectomy.

Growth in Other Simulation Activities

Nurse Camp Summer 2022 hosted 50 high school students in a fun-filled, 3-day learning experience, introducing them to the art of nursing with multiple hands-on activities. The campers also had the opportunity to interact with current nursing students, getting the “real deal” as to what nursing school is truly like.

As the LUSON simulation team and our simulation opportunities continue to grow, so does our influence in the world of simulation and nursing education. At the Virginia State Simulation Alliance (VASSA) 2022 Annual Conference, the LUSON simulation team presented in 3 breakout sessions, sharing LUSON simulation events with other experts in the field.