College's Exemplary Labs Showcased at Simulation Conference

Published 08.11.2015

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A "patient" awaits a hands-on CPR session offered by Laerdal's Kevin Webb.

A prelunch panel prompts an informative give-and-take on integrating simulation into the curriculum. From left are Sonya R. Echols, director of healthcare simulation at DeSales University; Joseph A. Corvino, director of simulation learning at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences; Tushanna M. Habalar, Penn College's learning laboratory coordinator for nursing education (moving to full-time nursing faculty this week); Bambi A. Hawkins, learning laboratory coordinator for the college paramedic program; and Mark A. Trueman, director of paramedic technology programs at the college. Standing at right is Jessica L. Bower, who facilitated the discussion ...

... and later led tours of Penn College's simulation laboratories.

About 40 participants, nearly half of them faculty/staff of Penn College's School of Health Sciences, participated in Tuesday's daylong meeting of the Simulation User Network. Held in the nursing wing of the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center and sponsored by Laerdal Medical, the first-ever local conference offered a collaborative forum for health educators interested in initiating or augmenting patient simulation. "Our faculty really appreciate how much simulation enhances teaching methodology and student learning," said Jessica L. Bower, simulation laboratory coordinator for nursing education. "We are very lucky to have the labs and resources that we have. Today was also a great day to network and learn what others are doing in the world of health-care simulation." In addition to a panel discussion on "Best Practices in Simulation," the program included sessions on the importance of team-performance debriefing, implementation of effective training scenarios and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation demonstration.