VGCC Simulation Center Benefits Students and Region

Vance-Granville Community College is significantly enhancing its Health Sciences programs in the spring 2007 semester with the opening of the Allied Health Science Simulation Center at Maria Parham Medical Center in Henderson. A new North Carolina Community College System grant worth $153,565 will help make sure the simulation center is fully equipped to prepare students for success in the health care field.The Allied Health Science Simulation Center will be located at Maria Parham, because space is not available on the VGCC campuses for a lab of this size and scope. Maria Parham’s Vice President of Patient Care Services, Cindy Faulkner (a Vance-Granville nursing graduate herself), is credited with first suggesting that the hospital’s old Intensive Care Unit, which takes up more than 3,000 square feet, be used to house a new Simulation Center. Faulkner was encouraged to pursue this project by current Maria Parham Medical Center Board of Directors Chairman Ray Meeks, and Board Member Leo Kelly, Jr., the Dean of Adult Basic Education at VGCC. The hospital is located only two miles north of VGCC’s Main Campus, making it convenient for students and faculty. Faulkner remarked, “Maria Parham Medical Center has enjoyed a close working relationship with the Nursing program at Vance-Granville Community College for many years. A large number of our nursing staff graduated from Vance-Granville. Many Health Education students in a variety of programs at Vance-Granville come to Maria Parham for clinical rotations and training. When I became aware of their need for space it was only natural that Maria Parham would want to help in any way we can. The Simulation Lab will also benefit our employees in the future as we are able to train our own staff to do new or rarely performed procedures using the advanced technology provided by the Sim mannequins.”“We have created the simulation center to keep up with the times, so that our students have the highest quality education, and an extra edge when going into the workforce,” said Renee Hill, Director of Nursing for VGCC.The grant from the community college system will be used to purchase simulation equipment including a “SimMan” manikin and two “Noelle” Maternal/Neonatal simulators. Funds from the grant also will purchase equipment for video-taping students’ work for review. Models such as SimMan, manufactured by the Laerdal Company, can simulate most human actions, with notable exceptions such as sweating and walking. SimMan, which is the size of an average adult male, is designed to simulate a wide range of illnesses and injuries, which can be programmed through a computer.Hill explained that the simulation center will replicate an entire hospital unit, with at least eight manikins and two virtual IV trainers. “This will be a safe environment for our students, and because it is computerized, we can actually replicate particular ‘simulated patients’ and situations over and over. That’s something we can’t do with real patients, of course,” she added. “We will also have equipment that videotapes our students, so that they can see what they do right or wrong.”“The partnership between Vance-Granville and Maria Parham made this state-of-the-art Allied Health Science Simulation Center a reality,” said VGCC President Randy Parker. “We are excited not only about how this will help our students practice their skills, but also about how it will improve the quality of health care in our area.”“VGCC has a long history of providing quality nursing instruction, and this opportunity only enhances our abilities and affords our students learning opportunities that are second to none,” Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC Dean of Health Sciences, said. “Our students are truly enjoying being able to learn and practice in an atmosphere where it is safe to make a mistake. Students can learn through repetitive practice and emerge secure and confident in their abilities to care for patients in the real setting. The success of our students has always been our priority and this Simulation Center affords Nursing and Allied Health students and practitioners an opportunity for success! We are sincerely thankful to Maria Parham for their support of our vision and for their dedication to the success of our partnership to provide quality patient care to our community.”Bob Singletary, President/CEO of Maria Parham Medical Center, sees the Simulation Center as another way to ensure that future healthcare providers are trained to deliver excellent care. “Innovative ventures like the one between the college and the hospital are what our citizens expect and deserve as we search for ways to provide healthcare more safely and expertly and as we educate students in more sophisticated ways. Maria Parham Medical Center participates in a number of national and regional efforts to reduce errors and to improve quality, but this local collaboration holds special promise,” stated Singletary.This lab will be used primarily for VGCC programs as well as for area hospitals’ in-service training, but it will also benefit professionals throughout the region, according to Dr. Ballentine. The Simulation Center will allow for interdisciplinary projects and training sessions involving students and professionals working together, solving problems and resolving simulated health crisis scenarios in a typical medical center environment. Hill said that she hoped that, in time, hospitals and other agencies from throughout the region would utilize the resources of the simulation center.Simulation training supports two primary goals: producing competent graduates and protecting public safety. According to the Institute of Medicine, “Simulation training is rapidly advancing as an important component of nursing and medical education.” The IOM recommends that simulation be used wherever and whenever possible. Simulation presents patient care learning opportunities for the student without having a live patient present. It provides students with the chance to think “on their feet” in a non-stressful, safe environment. Simulation also enhances critical thinking and problem-solving by offering students real-life patient situations. Vance-Granville Community College has been preparing residents of Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties for careers in the Allied Health Sciences since 1970. Throughout the years, Maria Parham has been the site for clinical training for VGCC students. Currently, Pharmacy Technology, Radiography, Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing students have clinical hands-on training at Maria Parham. Community and Economic Development programs such as Emergency Medical Services and Occupational Healthcare programs (Phlebotomy and Nurse Aide) also hold clinical training at Maria Parham Medical Center. All of these programs will use the simulation center, along with many others.Job opportunities for well-trained, qualified personnel in the health care fields, such as nursing, are growing, according to information from the NC Employment Security Commission. Registered nursing, Practical nursing, and Radiography are among the top five “hot” college programs in the nation, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. Many health care jobs require less than four years of college education, but almost all technical health care jobs require a two-year degree. Enrollment in VGCC’s Allied Health curriculum programs has been at full capacity for several years. Above: VGCC instructor Beverly Hudgins manipulates the electronic controls of one manikin. (VGCC Photo)