Second graders take the pulse of higher education
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Fort Worth, TX
7/1/2011
By Ashley
Franklin, MSN, RN, lecturer
Cheerful children’s
laughter, happy squeals and questions, including, “Is he for real?” and “Are
manikins ticklish?” abounded from the Nursing Simulation Lab in May. Almost 80
second grade students from Liberty Elementary School in White Settlement
visited the Annie Richardson Bass Building for a field trip encouraging healthy
lifestyles and higher education.
Nursing
faculty hosted the students in the undergraduate Simulation Lab where they interacted
with high-fidelity manikins and learned about hand hygiene. In addition, the
students selected healthy food choices from a group of simulated food items and
learned about the importance of healthy hobbies.
Debra McLachlan, Ph.D., RN, associate professor of nursing, shared
her hobby of painting ocean scenes on canvas. She encouraged the students to
continue drawing and painting throughout elementary school and beyond, and she
told them about her renewed interested in painting as an adult. “Hobbies, like
painting, can make you feel good and happy as well as help relieve stress,”
McLachlan said.
In the
Simulation Lab, the second graders learned how to take their own pulse and
count respirations. They also used a stethoscope, pen light and thermometer to
assess their simulated patients.
Harris
College uses six adult high-fidelity manikins and three pediatric manikins as
teaching tools with undergraduate nursing students to reinforce physical
assessment, nursing process and safe patient care. TCU integrated high-fidelity
simulation into the baccalaureate nursing curriculum in 2006. The Simulation
Lab had 1,308 undergraduate student encounters in the Spring 2011 semester.
“Simulation
offers learners of all ages a safe place to practice skills and think critically
about nursing care,” said Mary Beth
Walker, MS, RN, assistant director for simulation. “We are happy to host
the Liberty Elementary students and introduce them to nursing as a profession.”