“When I graduated from college I didn’t know what I was going to do--I didn’t have the skillset that you all are walking out of here with today.” Deputy Secretary of Education Frances Bradford
Staff at the SVHEC's Center of Nursing Excellence (CNE) recently collaborated with Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) health professions faculty to develop a five-hour emergency response simulation. The simulation was called “ER at SVHEC,” and served as the culminating clinical practice event for the 2018 spring semester.
“ER at SVHEC” took place on April 13th, and started with a mock car accident in the SVHEC parking lot. SVCC paramedic students responded to the dispatch call announcing that a child had been hit by a car. Paramedic students quickly evaluated and treated patients on the scene and then arranged transport to the “SVHEC ER”.
The SVHEC-CNE’s five-bed basic skills lab was transformed into an emergency room where the patients from the accident joined several other ER patients. SVCC Nursing students treated and managed an opioid addict, a heart attack victim, and a patient dying of respiratory related issues, all while treating the car wreck victims for their injuries. Throughout the scenario, health professions students of multiple disciplines worked as a team to continuously re-prioritize medical care as patient conditions changed.
“Clinical practice in simulated scenarios give students a chance to practice nursing care for several critically ill patients at a time, all in a safe environment. Participating student evaluations indicate that this simulation activity is an excellent clinical learning experience,” said Ann Bishop, MSN, RN, Associate Director of the SVHEC’s Center of Nursing Excellence.
Bishop worked with SVCC faculty, especially SVCC Simulation Coordinator Billi Jo Wilkinson, MSN, RN, to develop the scenario.
The multi-patient simulation event was held three times in April--once at the SVHEC in South Boston, and twice at the Estes Center in Chase City, VA—so that more than 85 SVCC nursing and paramedic students could have an opportunity to participate.
“It was a great learning experience for the first-year RN students. They haven’t had any emergency exposure, so seeing the multi-patients was a great experience for them. They were also able to see what the 2nd level students were focusing on, so I think they’ll do a whole lot better in their second year because of the exposure they received in this simulation,” said SVCC Nursing Instructor, Melissa Arthur, MSN, RN.
The SVHEC’s Center of Nursing Excellence develops and facilitates clinical simulations for SVCC nursing students per an MOU between SVHEC and SVCC. These simulated clinical experiences count toward Virginia Board of Nursing clinical requirements for program completion and are an integral component in the SVCC nursing curriculum.
To view photos from the ER at SVHEC event visit https://flic.kr/s/aHsmiXNXG8. Video clips of the day may be viewed on the Nursing in Southern Virginia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nursingishere
The SVHEC proudly announces the launch of its newest initiative, the Career Tech Academy (CTA) for regional high school students.
The SVHEC recently completed 10 weeks of customized training for 16 students at the Rivermont School in Chase City and Danville, VA.
The Rivermont School reached out to the SVHEC because they needed a training provider who could offer career pathways exploration, and work within their limited timeframe. The SVHEC’s customized training team worked closely with the Rivermont staff to customize the “Work Ready Career Pathways” curriculum to meet their needs.
IT Academy completers Kyle Johnson (left) and Malcolm Carrington were recently recognized by the Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium (SVRTC).
The Halifax County Chamber of Commerce recently donated proceeds from its 4th Annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament to support workforce training programs at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC).