Cedarville Magazine Spring 2022

suit the learning style of someone who has grown up with this type of technology.” Cedarville is one of only a few universities in Ohio with an Anatomage Table. It will be exclusive to the Master of Athletic Training program for now, though Weller envisions opening it up to other programs in the School of Allied Health. REALISTIC PRACTICE: NURSING SIMULATORS Understanding course concepts is important, but practice is a crucial component of the learning experience. Cedarville provides students with opportunities to practice through a Simulation Center, which the Schools of Nursing, Allied Health, and Pharmacy recently updated to ensure a state-of- the-art experience for years to come. The latest update is the SimCapture Pro, a cloud-based simulation management platform with multi-angle video recording, simulator data capture, annotation, streaming, and debriefing capabilities, as well as self-reflection for simulation participants. Junior and senior nursing students use lifelike mannequins in the center’s three high-fidelity bays, two with Laerdal SimMen mannequins and one with a Laerdal SimMom, to practice their reasoning and judgment skills. These simulators can sweat, bleed, and produce heart sounds, lung sounds, and vital signs such as heart rate and oxygen saturation. Students use the SimMen to assess these indicators and provide necessary medication and care. They use the SimMom to practice labor and delivery care, along with moderate-fidelity infant and child simulators for pediatric scenarios. Upperclassmen nursing students spend two four-hour shifts with the high-fidelity simulators each semester. They use these simulators for medical-surgical, mental health, maternity, and pediatric clinical courses, as well as complex care and leadership courses specifically for seniors. Nursing and pharmacy senior students also jointly participate in a weeklong Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) mock code certification opportunity at the start of the spring semester. Karen (Mathews) Callan ’85, Coordinator of the Nursing Labs and Facilities, runs the high-fidelity simulators along with other faculty members who ensure a realistic simulation experience. “In the Simulation Center, students apply their knowledge, skills, and, most importantly, their clinical judgment, clinical reasoning, and effective communication skills,” said Callan. In other skill labs within the School of Nursing, sophomore nursing students interact with moderate-fidelity simulators in guided simulations where they learn the basics of vital signs and what they indicate. These simulations do not replace clinicals in a real hospital, but they add to the learning experience. By simulating a hospital environment without the possibility of real-world consequences, students can take the lead tackling complex medical issues. Debriefings allow students to analyze what they did right and wrong. Students who role-play loved ones also give nurses practice communicating with a patient’s friends and family and dealing with end-of-life issues. “It’s very realistic, and it gives students the opportunity to actually feel like they are in a clinical setting,” said Callan. “They get to be the nurse making real decisions based on their assessments. The practice of communicating to other professionals that are role-played by faculty during scenarios has given our graduates excellent practice in organizing and articulating important information to other healthcare professionals.” With such a training environment, is it any wonder that Cedarville nursing students, and health science majors in general, are sought out by employers around the country. Excellent technology guided by excellent faculty leads to excellent results. Bryson Durst ’22 is a communication major at Cedarville University and a Public Relations student-writer. Students apply their knowledge, skills, and, most importantly, their clinical judgment. Karen (Mathews) Callan ’85 Cedarville Magazine | 13