Top 5 Nursing Simulation Articles from HealthySimulation.com

By: Lance Baily

Nursing programs across the world are expanding their utilization of health care simulation technologies and methodologies to improve learning, training, and patient safety outcomes. Numerous nurse education institutions have been able to start sim programs with gracious philanthropic gifts or grant-funded support. However, being new to the field, many administrators are unaware of the critical importance of hiring and developing professional simulation staff to create and maintain the sim program’s full potential. To help nursing simulation programs better prepare for and expand their programs, HealthySimulation.com has developed a number of helpful articles and document templates. Here are the Top 5 Most Helpful Nursing Simulation articles from the website:

Nursing Simulation: This webpage is a helpful primer to all things related to nursing simulation. Nursing education encompasses instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as professional development and in-house training within medical centers, long-term care facilities, and anywhere else nurses practice. Nursing simulation, a subset of health care simulation, is the modern-day way to educate and train nursing professionals without risking patient injury. Historically, initial nursing education consisted of short periods of classroom lectures intermingled with extensive periods of bedside nursing. Over the last century, nursing education moved into educational institutions such as community colleges and four-year universities. In these institutions, educational methodologies typically include lectures with visual aids and case studies, skills lab practice, and clinical rotations.

Healthcare Simulation Coordinator Job Description w/ Downloadable Template: Simulation coordinators oversee the daily operation of simulation laboratories/centers. Previously we shared job descriptions for Entry Level Sim Techs and Experienced Senior Level Sim Techs. Here, Dr. Kim Baily covers the responsibilities of all things Coordinator! The exact responsibilities of the coordinator role varies tremendously depending on the size of the simulation laboratory, the goals of the learning institution, and the budget available. When writing a job description for your institution, consider aspects of the simulation coordinator position with the job descriptions the article provides.

How to Increase Sim Lab Staff without Increased Budgets: Imagine having four extra staff members to help with the hands-on work necessary to make a special sim lab event run smoothly, or additional sim techs to help run multiple labs at the same time. Expanding your medical simulation staff support can be easier and more affordable than you think. To find out how, this article takes a look at the development of the Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas, to learn how they doubled their number of support staff with very little added to the budget!

Using Nursing Simulation Experiences to Improve Medication Administration: The use of simulation to enhance clinical skills for both undergraduate and new graduate nursing and medical students is well documented in the literature. However, in spite of current changes, students and new graduate nursing students often find themselves unprepared and anxious when they begin their first professional assignments. According to nursing journals, the most common causes of medication errors for new nurses are “lack of presence of mind” followed by nerves and pressure. It is suggested that administration errors account for up to 32 percent of medication errors. Here we share how to improve your simulated learning experiences with medication administration.

The 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Rights for Medication Administration During Simulation: According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, adverse drug events (ADEs) account for 700,000 emergency department visits and 100,000 hospitalizations each year. In addition, approximately 5 percent of hospitalized patients experience an ADE each year. Simulation offers a wonderful opportunity for hospital staff and students to practice the essential skills involved in medication administration. Nursing schools and hospitals typically use a standardized sequence of checks to guide staff and students through the complex process of medication administration. Initially, five considerations or rights were identified. Over the years, however, additional steps have been added. Some institutions combine one or more of the steps.

About HealthySimulation.com

Founded in 2010, HealthySimulation.com is the world’s leading clinical simulation resource website with over 2,000 articles specifically providing the latest simulation program research, conference highlights, industry news, job listings, product demonstrations, and helpful guides. This resource even has places to find free medical simulation scenarios and a comprehensive global guide for upcoming health care simulation conferences! HealthySimulation.com supports the NLN in its mission to support nursing educators with their utilization of leading health care simulation technologies.