SCC Press Release


SCC and GRMC to Host Open House for New SimMan Patient Simulator Lab on October 11

Southeastern Community College (SCC) and Great River Medical Center (GRMC) will host an open house for their new SimMan Patient Simulator Lab on Monday, October 11 at Mercy Plaza on GRMC’s West Burlington campus.

The Open House will start at 2:00pm. There will be a brief demonstration and remarks from SCC and GRMC staff and elected officials in attendance at 4:00pm. It is free and open to the public.

SimMan is a patient simulator with realistic anatomy and clinical functionality. It provides simulation-based education to challenge and test clinical decision making skills during realistic patient care scenarios. It consists of an interactive manikin, a patient monitor, and a control computer. Users can measure pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, and listen for heart, breathing, and bowel sounds. SimMan can even speak through the use of prerecorded responses and sound effects.

SimMan is the result of a cooperative effort between SCC and area hospitals. SCC was awarded a federal earmark grant of $118,000 for the purchase of two SimMen in July of 2009: one for the health programs on the College’s Keokuk nursing students, the other for the West Burlington nursing students. The project was also funded by a $20,000 gift from the Vincent and Nina Cullen Foundation.

SCC Grant Writer Jan Wolbers explains that due to SimMan’s hefty price tag, SCC needed to show how such a teaching tool could be used not just by SCC nursing students, but by current healthcare providers.

 “We have had a great relationship with GRMC for a long time, and so when we went to them about collaborating with us on the SimMan project, they were immediately onboard.”

In exchange for the use of SimMan for staff training and assessment, Great River Health Systems redesigned its skills laboratory to accommodate the simulator.

GRMC Vice President of Nursing Teresa Colgan says that partnering provides excellent opportunities for learning and cross-training. “As resources get tighter, it’s a good thing to share. It benefits all of us, and it helps to be on the same page.”

 

 
 



 
Back to top