By Gerald Sonnenberg
EES Marketing and Communication

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s time to register for upcoming courses at the VHA SimLEARN National Simulation Center (NSC). Several opportunities are happening soon.     

The next Musculoskeletal (MSK) clinician class is Feb. 21-22. This face-to-face simulation training is designed to enhance primary care providers’ knowledge, skills and confidence to manage common musculoskeletal problems. In addition, this training emphasizes appropriate resource utilization and access to specialty care. For more information or to register, click here.

An Out of Operating Room Airway Management (OOORAM) simulation instructor training course has seats available Dec. 6-7. This course combines didactic, small group and hands-on simulation activities so participants can develop the skills necessary to design, develop, implement and debrief simulation-based OOORAM training in their work centers. For more information or to register, click here.

Next is an Introduction to Clinical Simulation Instructor (ICSI) course Nov. 14-16 and Dec. 12-14. This course provides a theoretical foundation for simulation-based training by combining didactic, small group and hands-on simulation activities. Participants can develop the skills necessary to design, develop, implement and debrief simulation-based health care training scenarios in their work centers. For more information or to register, click here.

A Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) training course is also looking for students for its Dec. 5-7 class. Sponsored by the Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), FCCS covers the early identification, stabilization and management of acutely ill patients who are becoming critical. The course is 2.5 days in duration, and students earn approximately 16 continuing education credits. For more information or to register, click here.

Finally, a course for nurses called Simulations for Clinical Excellence in Nursing Services or SCENS, is scheduled for Dec. 18-21. Learners will experience synergistic collective learning in a facilitated and safe environment to identify errors and mark successes. At the completion of training the students will return with 23 scenarios for use at their home facility. For more information or to register, click here.

In the photo, (left to right) SimLEARN staff Dr. Patricio Bruno and registered nurses Susan Martenson and Davina Dietrich demonstrate triaging a "patient" in the emergency room of the NSC. (VA photo by Gerald Sonnenberg)  

ORLANDO, Fla. – Three of the Employee Education System’s Educational Gaming applications are finalists in the 2017 Serious Games Showcase and Challenge to be held Nov. 27-Dec. 1 at this year’s Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference or I/ITSEC in Orlando. I/ITSEC is described as the largest simulation-focused conference in the world. The three educational games competing in the finals are Charge Nurse; Medical Surgical Nurse; and Goals of Care Conversation.

Educational Gaming develops serious educational games using commercial, game-based mechanics, structured play, rules, aesthetics, challenges and game thinking to immerse learners, motivate action, solve problems and promote learning with formative and summative feedback.

For the rest of the story, click here.

By Debra A. Bartoshevich, MSN, RN
Simulation Center Director
Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital

SAN ANTONIO - The VA South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, in recognition of Veteran’s Suicide Awareness month in September, conducted multiple simulations on suicide prevention throughout the facility. It was the first time that the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital Simulation Center (ALMSC) worked with trained standardized patients. ALMSC worked collaboratively with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) School of Medicine to acquire standardized patients to participate in the simulations. 

The simulation included implementing the Operation S.A.V.E. (Signs of suicidal behavior, Ask questions, Validate the person’s experience and Encourage treatment) intervention sequence, which can be found in the VA Talent Management System (TMS). Separately in TMS is the Suicide Risk Management Training for clinicians. Both TMS modules were used as pre-briefing tools for the simulation.

For the rest of the story, click here.  

In the photo, (left to right) Araceli Ginns, LVN; Suzanne Castle, RN; David Casillas, standardized patient; Keisha Bell, LVN; Larry Stokes, suicide prevention coordinator.  (VA photo by Debra Bartoshevich)

By Kyle Rhone, RN, and Kami Willett, RN, Simulation Educators
Mobile Simulation Training Team and Nebraska West Iowa VA Health Care System

OMAHA, Neb. – On Aug. 23 a 9.5 magnitude earthquake occurred with the epicenter five miles north of Memphis, Tennessee. However, “THIS IS ONLY AN EXERCISE.” On that day, SimLEARN’s Mobile Simulation Training Team (MSTT) and the Nebraska West Iowa VA Health Care System (NWIHCS) held a joint exercise with eight area medical centers, Airmen from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and the American Red Cross to test their skills during a natural disaster. In addition, metro emergency responders, Air Force emergency management personnel, Eppley Air Field, an Air Force medical detachment and over 80 volunteers participated in the exercise. 

For the rest of the story, click here.

In the photo, (left to right) Amye Lightfoot, RN; Trent Tullberg, RN; Nicole Cockerill, RN; Kyle Rhone, RN; Kami Willett, RN; Gloria Castellano, RN; Davina Dietrich, RN; Jeff Schrader, CRNA; Doug Rishel, education technician; Dave Adriansen, VISN 23 simulation program manager, pose in the hanger used during the exercise.  (VA photo by Don Delgado, USAF Moulage Team)

Megan M. Dercher, RN
Patient Safety Officer/Systems Redesign
Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital

COLUMBIA, Mo. - In January 2015, the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Truman VA) partnered with the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) to participate in the “Hospital of the Future” project. One of the many goals of this project is to provide clinical team training (CTT) to 80 percent of the clinical staff. CTT takes the fundamental concepts used in high-reliability industries and applies them to health care. CTT focuses on teamwork, standard operating procedures and being preoccupied with failure.

For personnel to become proficient with the tools provided in CTT, it is necessary to practice in life-like situations. This is where simulation training comes into play. Simulation exercises provide a controlled, safe environment for employees to practice. During recurrent training sessions, employees get hands-on experience with CTT tools and witness the benefits that come from appropriate utilization.

For the rest of the story, click here.  

In the photo, staff at the Columbia VA participate in simulation-based training as part of the clinical team training curriculum offered by the VA National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS). From left to right, Monica Brugman, Jimmie Riggins, Megan Dercher and Christine Rahmoeller. (VA photo by Jeffrey Wright)

By David J. Adriansen, Ed.D, NREMT
Director, Minneapolis VA Simulation Center
VISN 23 Simulation Champion

MINNEAPOLIS – In late summer, ten student VA volunteers experienced a day in health care at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. For the past three years, Steven Waisbren, MD, Surgery Service Line, has organized a tour for summer youth volunteers. These volunteers are high school students in grades 9-12, with an interest in medical careers.

Following a simulated Veteran patient presenting to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain, the students rotated their tour through the ED. Then, Dr. Glennon Park discussed diagnostics and care in the ED, Dr. Mark Kassebaum demonstrated intubation for the emergency appendectomy in surgery and Dr. Hector Mesa presented lab work for the patient. The students then went to the Sim Lab for suturing, abdominal organ identification and virtual surgical simulation. Doctors Steven Waisbren and Archana Ramaswamy helped students suture and use laparoscopic and endoscopic trainers simulating surgical procedures.

Thanks goes to Bimal Chaudhry from Volunteer Services, and our staff, for helping coordinate and make this a successful tour for future medical professionals.

In the photo, students practice using laparoscopic and endoscopic simulation equipment. (VA courtesy photo)  

ORLANDO, Fla. – On Sept. 28, staff at the VHA SimLEARN National Simulation Center (NSC) held a small celebration as the NSC completed its first year of operation in its new facility next to the Orlando VA Medical Center. More than 2,500 VA and other students have attended courses during the year since the NSC began education courses.

The celebration was attended by SimLEARN and other staff in person and virtually. Staff was thanked for all their work in helping make the training facility successful. 

The 51,000-square-foot high-technology, advance training center officially opened on the Orlando, Florida VA Medical Center campus Sept. 16, 2016 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The facility provides a high-fidelity training environment by replicating actual patient treatment areas including an outpatient clinic setting, as well as an inpatient/hospital setting. Video recording of training takes place for classroom debriefing and review, and multipurpose classrooms have reconfigurable walls to provide a number of room settings. At least 10 classrooms accommodate up to 160 students.

More information is available about SimLEARN and the NSC here.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The VHA SimLEARN National Simulation Center has received several visitors interested in the use of simulation to help care for our Veterans. Among the recent visitors were consulate representatives of the United Kingdom. They included Dave Prodger, Her Majesty Consul General (Not Shown and acting as the photographer), (left to right) Ainsley Hutchison, trade and economic policy officer and Dr. Carriayne Jones, head of science and innovation. Next to Dr. Jones is Dr. Harry Robinson, SimLEARN national program manager.