Spring-Summer 2006

Hamilton campus receives patient simulator

Miami University’s regional campuses produce professional, well-trained nurses through their accredited programs. Now, thanks to a generous gift by Mercy Hospital Fairfield, nursing students at the Hamilton campus have access to a valuable learning tool that will further prepare them for work in healthcare.

Mercy Hospital Fairfield has donated $50,000 for the purchase of a SimMAN® for the Miami University Hamilton nursing program. SimMAN® is a portable mannequin-like patient simulator which replicates realistic patient-care scenarios for nursing students. Through a complex computer, he simulates medical problems with verbal and physical responses to which the students must then react.

“SimMAN® allows our students to practice just about any nursing skill,” Paulette Worcester, interim nursing chair at the Hamilton and Middletown campuses, said. “They’re able to practice procedures thoroughly before moving to live humans.”

The nursing program began seeking funding for SimMAN® after several members of the Miami University nursing faculty saw a patient simulator demonstrated at a conference.

Nancy Scheffel `78, BSN `98, a nurse liaison in nursing administration from Mercy Hospital Fairfield, works closely with the nursing program at Miami Hamilton. Her involvement with student nurses extends to her work at Mercy Hospital Fairfield where she also works with student groups during their clinical rotations. Knowing the educational benefits of working with a SimMAN®, Scheffel proposed the idea of donating funds to Miami Hamilton to Kathy Brown `78, BSN `85, interim vice president of nursing, and Jeff Ashin, president and CEO, both at Mercy Hospital Fairfield.

“The purchase of the patient simulator will give nursing students unprecedented experience and hands-on care, and will assist in the transition from school to practice,” Scheffel said.

Worcester added that the nursing program would like to secure additional funding for a SimMAN® for the Middletown campus, as well as a SimBABY®, an infant patient simulator, for both regional campuses.