November 8, 2024
First Central Illinois Simulation Summit shares latest in healthcare educational tools

PEORIA (25News Now) – Methodist College and Carle Illinois College of Medicine shared advancements in student education at the first Central Illinois Simulation Summit in Peoria on Friday.

Participants were invited to share industry knowledge and try out different technology used in educational training like high-fidelity mannequins and virtual reality headsets.

The college’s Simulation and Clinical Center Director Sabrina Marlin said the college recently received VR headsets thanks to a grant. She believes these headsets will not only allow students to practice their skills in a more realistic setting, but also help improve communication.

“You can assign them four patients and they have to pick who they would see. It helps with delegation,” Marlin said. “[It] actually helps [with] just communication in general [and] and how they’re going to talk to the patient.”

The college also has six simulation rooms that utilize high-fidelity mannequins representing a variety of patients, such as elderly, infant, and pregnant patients.

Marlin said these mannequins can mimic almost everything that real life patients can do, such as breathe, get blood drawn, talk, cough, and even simulate cardiac distress.

“We want them to learn their skills, practice their skills on a mannequin before they go to the hospital and actually use those skills on a real person,” Marlin said. “I think you have a more rounded student. You have students that feel prepared to take care of patients when they do graduate.”

Senior student Sydney Webb said her education at Methodist College has set her up for success. She said the simulation training and tools helped better prepare her for real life patients.

“Using one of these mannequins definitely made me more comfortable before I went into the clinical setting because I knew how to talk to a person, how to take blood pressures, interact with people, and listen to what I need to be listening for,” Webb said. “[It] helped me build my confidence.”

Webb thinks the college’s new VR training will be a cool, innovative, and impactful way to help students get extra experience before going into a clinical setting.

“They can help you visualize the field and help you to kind of get in the mindset and in mentality of where you are,” Webb said. “It also kind of makes your body feel like you’re in the clinical setting, so you are there without actually having to be there.”

Methodist College hopes to host the summit again next year.

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