Healthcare simulation programs in Arizona are of high caliber and there are numerous options to choose from. This article by Erin Carn-Bennett, RN, MSN will explore and compare Healthcare Simulation Programs in Arizona. The healthcare simulation programs discussed within this article include: Arizona State University, College of Medicine Phoenix, Banner Health, Creighton University, Mayo Clinic, Midwestern University, Dignity Health and Grand Canyon University.
Arizona State University Healthcare Simulation MS Degree Program
Arizona State University runs a Master of Science in Healthcare Simulation program via Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. This allows students to be able to discover skills required to be able to harness the power in healthcare simulation. The Arizona State University’s Master of Science in Healthcare Simulation program inspires learners to employ expert clinical simulation based education decision processes and to innovate with new educational modalities. (Note: HealthySimulation.com receives an affiliate commission for ASU related links in this article).
Students will learn how to develop and write clinical simulation scenarios from an evidence based design. Technology-enhanced educational environments that are similar to real patient experiences with lifelike high-fidelity computer manikins or simulated participants are common practice for many healthcare simulation centers today. In the ASU MS in healthcare simulation program students are taught how to employ operations techniques in these new and specialized fields of clinical simulation based education.
The Master of Science in Healthcare Simulation course is run through Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation which is located in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. There is also the opportunity to participate in this program online. ASU’s Edson College is deeply involved in the region and the community and has long-established partnerships with Mayo Clinic, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Dignity Health, the World Health Organization and many more.
College of Medicine Phoenix, Center for Simulation and Innovation – Simulation Technologies
The College of Medicine Phoenix Center for Simulation and Innovation has a number of manikins for various age groups and range from low to high fidelity. Through immersive clinical simulation scenarios, students are able to practice clinical skills and how to make decisions in a safe and supervised environment. A number of additional simulated medicaldevices such as ventilators, defibrillators, and ultrasound machines are also available for use in the clinical simulation center for students.
Task trainers are also available to students and provide a high quality experience to refine clinical skills such as blood draws, wound care, lumbar puncture, central line insertion, IV insertion, foundational laparoscopic surgery skills, and airway management. Access to these task trainers allows students to build up foundational clinical skills as they progress through their degree program. Virtual and screen based simulator trainers available include: Sonosim Virtual Ultrasound, Eyesi Direct Ophthalmoscope, and EyeSim Virtual Reality Ophthalmic Simulator.
The Center for Simulation and Innovation at the College of Medicine, Phoenix is able to accommodate large numbers of learners. Their facilities take up three wings of the Health Sciences Education Building (HSEB) at 435 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, Arizona.
Within the facilities there are:
- 6 procedure skills education labs
- 14 simulation labs which includes 11 hospital rooms
- 1 emergency room and 2 obstetrics/surgery suites
After healthcare simulation scenarios, debrief happens in the debrief rooms that are in close proximity to the clinical simulation room. Scenarios have the ability to be recorded live in the clinical simulation labs and can be used as an aid to review in the debrief rooms.
Banner Simulation Medical Center – Mesa
The Banner Simulation System is one of USA’s largest healthcare simulation education programs that trains physicians, nurses, allied health providers and emergency responders. The Banner healthcare simulation program uses manikins, and virtual-reality programs in order to offer the next generation of simulation based education.
At the center of the healthcare simulation education program is the 55,000-square-foot Banner Simulation Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona. This is complemented by other Banner Healthcare Simulation sites in both Arizona and Colorado and also includes a mobile education program that serves hospitals throughout the Western areas.
The Creighton University healthcare simulation education space makes up over 35,000 square feet of dedicated interprofessional simulation space. This space spans across three floors of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust building on Creighton University’s Phoenix Health Sciences Campus.
Facilities on offer include:
- 16 clinical exam rooms
- 9 single patient hospital rooms
- Operation room and trauma bay
- Mock pharmacy
- Multipurpose wet lab, Simulated apartment, Ambulatory care lab, Clinical exam lab, Rehabilitation lab
The clinical simulation center at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Phoenix, Arizona, is one of many experiential education environments that creates over 12,000 square feet of education space.
Mayo Clinic healthcare simulation facilities include: laparoscopic skills lab, nursing skills lab, procedural skills lab, microvascular surgical education lab, gross anatomy lab, and two clinical simulation facilities.
Healthcare simulation technology options available include: SimMan 3G and Hal. SimCapture systems record scenarios performed in the clinical simulation center as well as in the debrief environment. Learners have the ability to develop clinical skills on high-fidelity manikins, virtual reality equipment, and also highly specialized task trainers.
Midwestern University Arizona Clinical Skills & Simulation Center – Glendale
At the Midwestern University Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, learners have a safe environment in which to learn and practice their skills. The Glendale CSC is available for use by all Midwestern University students, faculty, and affiliated healthcare professionals.
Facilities available include:
- 19 Clinic-based Examination Rooms and hospital rooms
- 7 Vet Clinic-based Examination Rooms
- ICU and ED clinical spaces
- Operating Rooms
Healthcare simulation-based education is incorporated into didactic education for all residency programs at Dignity Health. Single learner and small group clinical simulation-based education is included in residency curriculums. At times healthcare simulation manikins are also brought into the hospital to assist with multidisciplinary “in situ” clinical simulation scenarios.
High fidelity clinical simulation manikins (adult, child, baby, and pregnant mother) are available to be used in clinical simulation as well as task trainers. In the Graduate Medical Education facility just across from St. Joseph’s hospital, there are healthcare simulation rooms with 2-way audio and video capability and the ability to link remotely to learners present in separate rooms or off-site.
Grand Canyon University, Lopes Center for Nursing Simulation, Phoenix, Arizona
The Lopes Center for Nursing Simulation provides an immersive clinical simulation experience that enables students to develop and apply critical thinking and clinical reason skills in a safe and consistent educational environment.
This article has explored a number of different healthcare simulation programs that are available in the state of Arizona. Arizona has a number of high quality clinical simulation programs that are on offer for both undergraduate and postgraduate students with clinical simulation programs on offer to enhance the educational experience.
Read More: Arizona State University MS Degree in Healthcare Simulation
