STEMtech: Big Bend Community College is noticed as being a leader in medical simulation

Due to the innovative work that Big Bend Community College has been doing in medical simulation, Jenn de Leon, Andrea Elliott, and Terry Kinzel presented in the STEMtech Innovations national conference in Philadelphia.

The first presentation helped provide training on how to use medical simulation equipment in an educationally sound way. It was well attended by colleagues from across the country who represented a variety of fields of study such as: mechatronics, healthcare, computer science, and robotics. Attendees were able to walk away with practical interactive ideas on how to use medical simulation to improve clinical preparedness.

The second presentation was about the importance of networking in order to foster community involvement. When conducting simulation training, it is important to vest as many community partners as possible in order to be able to provide realistic training scenarios. Specifically, a well conducted simulation experience may include different organizations within patient safety and healthcare. For example, a high fidelity scenario may need the participation of an emergency operator, EMT/Fire department, emergency room personnel, and so on. This kind of crucial participation is made possible by effective networking.

Big things are happening in Big Bend Community College’s medical simulation program.