WE CAN USE TO GIVE US CONFIDENCE IN THE CLINICAL SEl I //11/ /ERIN REESE, SENIOR ADAPTABLE UINTRAINS He was fine five minutes ago, but now he is gasping for every breath. Suddenly, his breathing and his pulse have stopped. After trying to revive him, it was time to admit he was dead. Students enrolled in the College of Nursing saw scenes like this often. Only the man did not really die, he (or she, as the case may be) was the new "high tech" mannequin in the nursing lab. The mannequin was just one of many new high-tech pieces of equipment the college received to replace its old apparatus. "I got here in 1993, and everything was old then," Linda Gibson, assistant professor of nursing, said. "It is great to have equipment similar to what the students will be using in the field." Students also saw the benefits of having the new equipment. "Most schools don't have this kind of equipment, so we have a huge advantage," senior Erin Reese said. "We have everything in the lab we need to practice anything they teach us." Other students said they also appreciated the new equipment available to them. "It gives us a chance to practice the aspects of real nursing with a hands-on approach that you can't get from books alone," junior Kerry Kaiser said. "It is great to be able to use it in the classroom instead of having to practice on people." One of the pieces of equipment that helped students practice in the classroom was the new mannequin that simulated different conditions in the human body. "The mannequin allows us to control all sorts of things, like respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiac functions like pulse," Gibson said. "It can also become pregnant and exhibit fetal heart tones and distress." Some students also decided to give the mannequin a little personality. "When it has the female parts, we call it 'Computer Connie,'" Reese said. "It's really a great resource, and it is one of the best tools we can use to give us confidence in the clinical setting." Some of the nursing students nearing waduation have also found "Connie' to be helpful. "We use it to learn the basics of how to assess people," senior Deidre Hulvey said. "It has increased our knowledge so much. With 'Connie' and teachers who are willing to help us in the Jab, we can practice our skills almost anytime." Because Searcy could only offer a limited number of clinical experiences for students, the ability to practice clinical skills in the classroom was helpful, Gibson said. "Our ability to teach our students on campus §ives our students a great advantage, ' she said. -MAn BlANSm IN TANZANIA, AFRICA, seni05 KyleVath, Tabitha Goodwin and lara langley assist Dr Jim lcott of Cincinnati in performing neonatal resuscitation on anewborn who could not breathe independently June 14, 2004. "[The trip] taught me that no matter what we do, God is in control;' Vath said. ' COURTESY OF K.VATH 179 - COLLEGE OF NURSING
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