Sim Lab

[futurepsychrn, ADN]

Just wanted to get some opinions on doing a simulation in the lab. I think they can be very useful if used right, but I don't think my instructors are using them right. The last sim lab we had was for OB. There was a group of 4, and we were supposed to be caring for a woman in active labor, transition phase. Awesome, since none of us have gotten to participate in a delivery in clinicals. However, the way our sim labs are run is, we are put in the room, given a scenario and told go! The problem with this is that we have practiced none of these skills beforehand. We have had lecture on them but no practical experience. Scares me to death even though its mannequins. Also bothers me that they sit behind a 2-way mirror and film, watch, and critique us. One of the things they told us would be required is checks to see how dilated the cervix was, I said "No one has shown us how to do that, and we haven't even discussed it in lecture (the final for the class is next week so it's too late now). Thoughts? Opinions?

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Sim lab is where you learn how to do these things that you haven't done in clinical. Sim lab is where you are allowed to make mistakes.

My sim lab is similar. We had a patient going down hill the other day. Our instructors sit behind the class and critique us but not in a bad way, a way so that we can learn. I'd rather make my mistakes in sim lab than in the hospital. We never checked for dilation in clinical.

Take me sim lab for what it is, a learning experience.

[nlitened]

I love SIM Lab! But our instructors always show us new skills first, then we are able to practice them in SIM Lab.

[Vana21, ADN, BSN, RN]

My SIMS were like this as well. Anything listen in the syllabus we were expected to know regardless if they taught it in lecture or not. Anything on there not covered directly by them was considered self study and was testable