business backgrounder | education & workforce
“ Fire departments , hospitals , and universities are ready to hire our graduates . Depending on a student ’ s goals , there ’ s a place for them in the field .”
— Andrea Elliott , Medical Simulation , Title V , Big Bend Community College signs , including blood pressure , heart rate , and oxygen saturation , just like they would on a real patient .
Higgs jumps at any chance to learn from simulation . “ This type of training allows me to become more comfortable with the procedures in an environment that reduces my fear of making a mistake ,” she says . up to $ 70,000 per year . As of 2016 , a new Washington state law ( WAC 246-840-534 ) requires that simulations be run by certified simulation technicians ; techs must pass the CHSOS ( Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist ) exam and get two years of hands-on simulation practice before landing an entry-level job in the field .
The CHSOS test is a couple of years old , and many simulation technicians working in the field aren ’ t formally certified , said Big Bend spokeswoman Andrea Elliott . The new law tightens the regulatory environment in the field , formalizing training and education requirements for simulation technicians . That means more techs and those aspiring to work in the field will be seeking certification , but there ’ s a distinct lack of education or training programs available to help .
This year , Big Bend Community College stepped into that void , creating the Medical Simulation Associate in Applied Science degree , a program routing students directly into the healthcare simulation field , combining CHSOS exam preparation with the requisite hands-on training .
The program is designed to accommodate 50 students — 25 firstyear and 25 second-year — and it launched in Fall 2016 . Officially a “ transfer ” degree , it ’ s designed to transfer seamlessly to a four-year university , but Elliott expects most students to start work right away . “ This is a two-year program , so students will graduate with their two years of hands-on experience , and be able to jump into the field ,” she says .
That ’ s appealing for students and employers alike . “ We have major interest in our technicians from industry ,” says Elliott . “ Fire departments , hospitals , and universities are ready to hire our graduates . Depending on a student ’ s goals , there ’ s a place for them in the field .”
“ Simulators will continue to get smaller and become more lifelike .”
— Peter Ford , lead simulation technology specialist , Swedish Medical Center real-time replication
A typical healthcare simulation might involve sophisticated software , a lifelike mannequin , and flesh-and-blood people , all meticulously orchestrated by a simulation technician , who usually controls and observes the scene from behind reflective glass . Simulations might also help students learn to manage patient information in the electronic health records system or recognize complex psycho-social symptoms for conditions like alcohol withdrawal . “ Working as a simulation technician is like video gaming for the healthcare industry ,” says Elliott .
One recent Big Bend training simulation involved a virtual asthma attack , recalls Higgs ; students saw real-time effects on the virtual patient ’ s respiratory rate as blue lights inside the mannequin ’ s mouth signaled airway constriction . Students can read the mannequin ’ s vital an emerging field
Healthcare simulation puts technicians on the cusp of an emerging field , says Peter Ford , lead simulation technician at Seattle ’ s Swedish Medical Center . Ford teaches remotely for Big Bend ’ s medical simulation program . He entered the field seven years ago , after learning about the complexities of using simulation in nurse training from his mother , who directed the two-year RN program at Tacoma Community College .
Back then , a mannequin was “ tethered ” inside the simulation room , says Ford , by cables that regulated its internal workings . Today , mannequins include internal wireless routers and can be used outside the lab in real-life settings , like the site of a car crash or inside an ambulance . “ Simulators will continue to get smaller and become more lifelike ,” says Ford , which increases the range of scope and complexity of procedures that students and professionals
http :// www . bit . ly / WACsimulation http :// www . ssih . org / About-Simulation
can practice .
Ultimately , it ’ s about improving patient outcomes , says Ford . “ People are amazed that this type of training exists , and when they learn about the resources that go into simulation training , they ’ re more confident in their professionals who care for them .”
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