Simulation is more than a teaching tool, it’s a passion. From a simple manikin in 1984 to high-technology simulators, this is the story of a nurse who fell in love with simulation. Discover the pivotal moment when her career shifted toward simulation, inspiring new methods to educate future nurses.
People always ask if there is anything to the adage “love at first sight.” If this question is about simulation, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” I experienced “love at first sight” firsthand in the field of simulation.
I was first introduced to simulation in nursing school in 1984, when we “simulated” fundamental skills like placing a nasogastric tube in a manikin and taking blood pressures on our peers. This appealed to me because of my desire to learn in an environment that was safe and allowed me to “test” my understanding and the theories I was learning in lecture or class. These opportunities developed my confidence over time through practice, eventually preparing me to care for real patients.
However, twenty years later, I met SimMan (Laerdal Medical, Stavanger, Norway), a high-fidelity simulator that provided even more realistic opportunities. I fell in love with simulation as a pedagogy to train nursing students in a safe environment, giving them the privilege of working out their questions, testing theories, and applying what they were learning in class through realistic, hands-on practice.
Working as a Skills Lab Coordinator for a local school of nursing and finishing my Master of Science in Nursing Education (MSN), I discovered a passion for creating simulation experiences and seeing the “aha” moments in students’ eyes.
My fondest memories of those early days involve coming alongside students to facilitate their learning through patient care scenarios that provided focused practice on concepts they were learning in the classroom. We now had the most engaging method available to hold their attention and inspire a new level of motivation in their study of nursing.
As I completed my MSN in 2006, I continued to use simulation in my courses because I believed then—as I still do today—that it is essential to my teaching and their learning. Over the last twenty years, the field of simulation has grown in incredible ways, transforming how we educate future nurses.
Now, as a Simulation Coordinator for a hospital-based simulation center, I see the explosion of simulation not only in nursing schools but also in hospitals. The addition of standardized patient simulation, interprofessional simulation, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality continues to push the creativity of simulation beyond what we dreamed about in 1984 or 2005. I wonder what advancements we will see in the next twenty years.
READ ALSO
