VCU news

By Michael Ford and Martha Bushong

WHAT:     The VCU School of Nursing has purchased a new teaching tool that will provide nursing students with advanced hands on training in lab and classroom settings. The new equipment is a patient simulator, a life-sized artificial patient, loaded with software and wired with sensors to interact with caregivers in a manner similar to a human patient.

The simulator, known as "Sim-Man" can mimic disease and react to the medicines prescribed to treat those disease conditions. "Sim-Man" simulates breathing, has a variable pulse and eyes that move. The simulator may be programmed to reproduce the symptoms of a heart attack or respiratory distress and react as a real patient would once the proper treatment is provided.

To develop training models and specific curricula in time for the next academic year, nursing school faculty will participate in the first of many training sessions on the simulator. 

WHEN:      Monday, June 21, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

WHERE:    VCU Nursing Education Building, 1220 E. Broad St., room 406   

WHO:       * Dr. Nancy F. Langston, dean, VCU School of Nursing
                 * Dr. JoAnne K. Henry, professor, VCU School of Nursing