Technical Innovations for a Successful Simulated Hospital

Description

A worldwide crisis is a fruitful soil for creative innovations. During the COVID-19 pandemic when most of the educators faced restrictions working with their students,making it very challenging to ensure the practical placement at hospitals.Therefore,the team at Riga Stradins University (RSU) Medical Education Technology Centre (METC) came up with a simulated hospital concept to provide the students with the much-needed practice.In this article we'll mention some of the innovative solutions used for this event.. The two week long simulated hospital was organised at RSU METC (December'21 and April'22) taking up two floors,including: Nurses station, supply room, diagnostic suite, two departments:surgical and internal disease with simulated patients and mannequins. Simulated patients had been trained with disease scenario,had a specific make-up,were equipped with custom-made simulated modules (wound care,catheters,injection sites).In addition,their beds were equipped with custom-made nurse call button that resulted as an audio-visual signal via Bluetooth). The mannequins were featured with custom-made NG tubes ileostomy bags, catheters, and were connected to the simulated vital sign monitors. The Nurses station was equipped with real computers and telephones to coordinate patient care,transportation and delegate daily chores. Last,but not least,all the hospital rooms had cameras with open broadcast software(OBS) system that allowed the academic staff to monitor student work, evaluate them and assist if necessary. . All solutions helped the medical students to enhance their skills that otherwise wouldn't have been possible. The simulated hospital environment was created as close as possible to the one at university hospitals with real patients,including challenges that usually medical students face. In the feedback survey the students evaluated their experience as positive,gave suggestions about what could be improved for the next simulated hospital events. . The simulated hospital experience is a great project for medical students,as well as for the academic and technical staff to improve both:their technical and soft skills.

Period	30 Mar 2023
Event title	RSU research week 2023: University Teaching and Learning
Event type	Conference
Organiser	Rīga Stradiņš University
Location	Riga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International