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The Prepared Nurse

Student reflections on impacts from the 150 Forward Focus campaign

Lindsay Frye

By: Lindsay Frye, certificate '16, practical nursing
From: 150 Forward Focus Fall 2017

I recently attended Washburn Institute of Technology’s practical nursing program from August 2016 to May 2017. During that time, I was able to utilize the school’s Regional Simulation Center each semester during the "Big Sim" days, and several other times throughout the year as well, whether it was for labs or clinicals.

I loved being able to go through different scenarios with the Sim mannequins to help us tie in the hands-on aspect of nursing care with what we had learned in class during lectures. The amount of things those mannequins could do was amazing and helped to enhance my learning experience a lot more. 

Although the students knew it was just simulation, I really feel like it helped to put into perspective things that I may come across during my future career. I especially enjoyed how the bays were set up like they are in the hospital emergency department. I have always been a better hands-on learner, and I feel like that prepared me to know how things work in those rooms a little better.  

I now work in a hospital, and although I don’t work in the emergency department, the rooms are set up pretty similar. Learning how to navigate the computer through Sim Charting was a little rocky at first, but I also definitely feel like that helped me to prepare for all the different charting I would be doing once I started working. One other thing that I felt really helped and was an awesome experience was the "Big Sim," which is one large simulation for different types of health care professionals. Being able to see and experience how several different disciplines can come together for the benefit of even just one patient was really good for everyone to see. Teamwork between workers in the health care field is a huge must, and days like the "Big Sim" are a great way to introduce students to that. 

I wish we did the larger simulation more than once a semester, because I feel like it was an amazing experience to be able to take part in. Overall, I feel like the Sim Center is a huge blessing to Washburn Tech, and I definitely feel like I learned a lot being able to use it!  

 

 

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