KCON students prepare for careers through intensive multipatient simulation

Jeffrey Mann spoke calmly to "Janet" as she loudly complained about aches and pains, thrashed around the bed and disrupted another patient in the room. Mann then moved to another room, donned a dressing gown and proceeded to take that patient's blood pressure.

It was all in a day's work for Mann, who got a taste of what working in a hospital and caring for multiple patients would be like during a pilot simulation in early December at Grand Valley’s DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health.

Mann and 11 other nursing students volunteered their time during the six-hour simulation that involved 18 “standardized patients” with varying diagnoses portrayed by trained actors. Twelve nursing faculty and three Corewell Health nurse coaches portrayed other health care team roles: pharmacists, social workers, interpreters and charge nurses.

These simulations will be regularly incorporated into the curriculum for Kirkhof College of Nursing students beginning in the winter semester, thanks to a $1.5 million federal grant to improve workforce readiness.

Sherri Fannon, assistant professor of nursing, said multipatient simulations will help students learn prioritization, critical thinking and leadership skills. Fannon and KCON faculty members Barbara Hooper and Christina Quick wrote the grant, which was awarded from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

"If we can do this at the beginning and not the end of their semester, it helps bridge the gap between academia and professional practice," Fannon said. "The hope is that it will help decrease the attrition rate. We lose nurses in their first year, largely because of stress. In this safe learning environment, they can learn to manage multiple patients at one time."

Rosemary Conlin portrayed a family member of a standard patient. Conlin, a retired nurse from Corewell Health, called the simulation a wonderful experience for students. "To have this mimic what their regular work days would be like and what type of situations they would have to deal with is wonderful experience for them," Conlin said.

The students were all graduating seniors. Mann was offered a job in Corewell Health's intensive care unit after he earns a nursing license. He said simulations like this help prepare him for his future career.

"My experience here has been great," Mann said. "Participating in a simulation, then going to a clinical assignment the next week prepares you for uncertain situations and makes you feel more confident," Mann said.

Doug Ayers, simulation technology manager, said the detailed-oriented event was also a good exercise for Simulation Center team members, who coordinated patient scenarios with faculty, trained standardized patients and planned necessary equipment.

"For example, when you have 18 patients for one event, there can be over 50 simulated medications that need to be created and staged appropriately, along with functioning medical supplies to properly administer the medications," Ayers said. "The hard work, dedication and collaboration of faculty and simulation staff was truly impressive."