We are pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) has awarded the Division of Nursing at Curry College a human patient simulation (also known as a 'SimMan') to better prepare nurses and nursing educators.
The award is part of the Commonwealth's ongoing Nursing Initiative. The program seeks to expand the capacity and quality of public and private higher education nursing programs in order to better meet the workforce needs of the health care industry, a vital sector of the state's economy.
Professors Sheryl Cifrino, Elizabeth Kudzma and Linda Caldwell were authors of the grant, and are all extremely happy to have been selected.
"We will have partnerships with Milton Hospital and South Shore Hospital to form a simulation support group. 'SimMan' is very complex and requires skill to use him. He almost needs a full time nurse if used extensively", said Caldwell, Chair of the nursing program.
'SimMan' is the term used for a high fidelity human simulator, which means he can interact with students and can even die if assessments and actions are poorly implemented.
'SimMan' will be used in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. He will join 'Noelle' (a birthing simulator) and 'Vital Anne'/'Andy' in the Nursing Resource Center.
"Simulation is increasingly a central part of advanced nursing education and it is our goal to place human patient simulators within reach of every nursing student in the Commonwealth", said David McCauley, Director of the Nursing Initiative at the DHE.
McCauley also noted that patient simulators placed at hospitals by the Nursing Initiative are also used for medical staff training and, in several instances, by community medical responders (e.g. fire departments and EMTs).
The DHE has awarded eight human patient simulators in all, valued at $385,000, to various partnerships of higher education institutions and healthcare facilities or hospitals.