Tim Shea, CHSOS, Simulation Coordinator at the SMHS, is back recently from the 23rd Annual National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) Educator Symposium and Trade Show, which was held in Washington DC, Aug. 31 to Sept. 5.
Tim presented a four-hour pre-conference course entitled “Making Low Cost EMS Task Trainers.” The course introduced simulation educators to low-cost tips and tricks for developing task and skill trainers, including learning how to repurpose spare parts, find new ones, and make components of these trainers yourself. Many of these devices can be made for $5 or fewer, yet are high quality and very realistic for the purposes of simulation.
Participants also learned how to create an Airway Manikin, Suction Manikin, Tracheal Suctioning Machine, Massive Vomiting Airway Trainer, Infant IO Trainer, Adult IO Trainer, Massive Bleeding Wound Pump, Surgical Airway Training Platform, Birthing Trainer Box, Abdominal Assessment Trainer, Pedal Edema Trainer, External Jugular IV Trainer, Ultra Sound Trainer, and a resurrecting portable suction machine for teaching.
Tim is back just in time for the Simulation Center open house, which will be held on Friday, September 21, 2018, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The event, in which guests can participate in self-guided tours and experience simulation in action, is open to everyone.
Simulation, or the creation of realistic circumstances in order to teach skills and enhance competencies, is rapidly changing the face of healthcare education. For this reason, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, of which the SMHS Simulation Center is a member, is sponsoring the second annual Healthcare Simulation Week, to be held September 17-21, 2018. The purpose of Healthcare Simulation Week is to raise awareness about the importance of healthcare simulation in improving performance and reducing errors in patient care.
A Simulation In Motion-North Dakota (SIM-ND) mobile education unit—a custom built, 44 foot-long learning lab on wheels—will also be on-site for tours and to provide information regarding the SMHS state-wide simulation program. SIM-ND units bring simulation education to all third-year medical students training on SMHS campuses away from Grand Forks. Units also provide healthcare education to rural areas of North Dakota so emergency responders and other providers can upgrade their skills closer to home rather than leave their service area for training.
The open house will be held at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 N. Columbia Rd. Simulation Center staff will be available to answer questions and provide an interactive experience during guests’ self-guided tours.