DiaMedical Journal

SimServeRx is an automated medication management system that was designed specifically for healthcare education and training. It provides medication dispensing and administration experiences that are very similar to those used by students in clinical settings. SimServeRx is also designed for instructor convenience with 10 pre-loaded Patient Profiles so the system is ready to use as soon as it arrives on campus. Continue reading to learn more about how these profiles create realistic medication administration experiences for nursing education.

Continuing education for healthcare professionals is often done online because it is convenient for both instructors and staff members. However, psychomotor competencies are best assessed through hands-on demonstrations. This article will describe how clinical educators can use skills trainers to develop annual competencies for nurses and respiratory therapists in healthcare facilities.

Simulation training is a learner-centered approach that provides an engaging alternative to the traditional classroom model. However, integrating simulation into an existing healthcare training can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned educators. DiaMedical USA has partnered with Hudson Simulation to help improve the quality of healthcare by providing innovative tools like the SimVS Virtual Diagnostic Platform to educate the next generation of medical professionals. In addition, the SimVS Virtual Diagnostic Platform allows all types of healthcare training programs to increase their simulation capacity without breaking their budgets. Continue reading to learn more about the SimVS system and why instructors love using it with their students.

Training Headwalls are a critical element of any hospital patient room as they help turn any simulation lab into a realistic patient care area. Headwalls are integral for many patient care activities including oxygen therapy, suctioning, and mechanical ventilation. For that exact reason, it is important that students are utilizing headwall features and learning the capabilities so that students are better prepared for clinical settings. This article provides five important considerations to help educators choose the best headwalls for their simulation lab.

High quality CPR and adherence to ACLS guidelines lead to improved patient survival rates following cardiac arrest. For this reason, immediate post cardiac arrest care is now included in the American Heart Association ACLS guidelines. To maintain perfusion to vital organs and prevent brain injury a comprehensive, multidisciplinary system of care is needed. This article will describe five components to include when creating a realistic post cardiac arrest simulation for a nursing and respiratory critical care courses.

A hospital bed is a major investment for any simulation lab. That being said, instructors need to know that they can count on their beds to deliver many years of reliable service. This article describes five important considerations to keep in mind when choosing the right hospital bed for your training program.

A hospital bed is a major investment for any simulation lab. That being said, instructors need to know that they can count on their beds to deliver many years of reliable service. This article describes five important considerations to keep in mind when choosing the right hospital bed for your training program.

Every second counts during medical emergencies and patient resuscitations, which is why school training is so critical. Students must be able to quickly identify medications and administer them correctly before entering real life situations. Loaded Emergency Crash Carts with SimRx simulated code meds are essential for both pediatric and adult resuscitation training. Here is a quick overview of the code meds that are used to treat irregular heart rhythms and cardiopulmonary arrest:

Resuscitation of a patient in cardiac arrest is one of the most complex and stressful situations that healthcare providers experience. Early exposure to patient resuscitation procedures with mock code simulations increase student confidence and minimize hesitation when immediate action is needed. This article will provide tips for instructors as they set up simulations labs to prepare students for real code blue situations.

Debriefing is largely considered to be the most important part of simulation training. Because resuscitation is complex and emotionally stressful, debriefing allows participants to process and reflect upon the experience. They also identify opportunities for improvement in order to perform more effectively during real patient resuscitations. In order for this to happen, however, the debriefing session must support confidentiality, trust, self-analysis, and open communication. This article will describe some of the techniques that educators can use to promote the best possible learning outcomes for participants.

Healthcare providers are constantly challenged to ensure that each patient receives the correct treatments and medications. QR and 2D Barcode scanning is now used routinely to confirm that practitioners are administering treatments to the correct patient. It is also used in other applications to make healthcare more accurate and prevent dangerous medical errors. In this blog, we will go more in depth with this technology and how it is used to promote patient safety.

Finding solutions to prevent infusion therapy errors represents a pressing patient safety priority. Educators have routinely used infusion pumps with simulated IV fluids to teach students best practices for medication administration. In this blog, we will look at how simulation can be used to help students identify potential medication errors prior to administration.

While smart infusion pumps have greatly improved patient safety, IV therapy is still associated with a high frequency of adverse effects. Medication errors are more likely to occur when nurses are inexperienced or unfamiliar with smart pump safety features. Hands-on training is the best way for students to learn how to safely use the Guardrails software in clinical settings. In this blog, we will go more in depth with the DiaMedical USA Educational Drug Library.

The COVID-19 crisis has greatly increased the need for healthcare professionals who can manage mechanical ventilation. Utilizing ventilator simulation is a great way to prepare students in pre-hospital, med-surg and long-term care courses. This blog post will explore how educators can use ventilators, tablet-based simulators and manikins to teach these important skills.

The COVID-19 crisis has created a huge need for nurses and respiratory therapists with ventilator management skills to care for patients with respiratory failure. BiPAP is a form of non-invasive ventilation that can be used to prevent intubation for patients with COVID pneumonia. Instructors can use refurbished ventilators and simulation scenarios to help students quickly gain the skills needed to provide BiPAP therapy to patients. In this blog, we will look at how BiPAP machines are used to treat COVID patients and how instructors can include BiPAP management skills in their nursing and respiratory therapy programs.

Epinephrine, more commonly known as adrenaline, is the primary emergency drug for treating Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Epinephrine activates beta- and alpha-adrenergic receptors throughout the body. Alpha-adrenergic effects cause peripheral blood vessels to contract, raising the blood pressure in the central circulation. This helps shunt blood flow to the brain and the heart. Beta-adrenergic effects increase heart rate, contractility, and automaticity which can promote Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest. Prefilled epinephrine syringes are included in crash carts for rapid IV administration during resuscitation.

Even the most seasoned healthcare providers are challenged by pediatric emergencies. Studies have shown that resuscitation of children is far less common and more complex than for adults. However, healthcare providers may start their first day of clinical practice without ever receiving hands-on pediatric resuscitation training. Research has shown that pediatric mock codes improve teamwork and reduce medication errors to significantly improve survival rates for young patients.

Utilizing Simulated IV fluids as a teaching tool during healthcare education courses has become an integral part in nearly every instructors curriculum. However, in many cases instructors are utilizing one type of simulated IV fluid for all their simulations. Although students build a great foundation on important skills like spiking tubing, maintaining sterility and calculating drip rates, they may be missing out on other essential parts of their education. This includes priming IV fluids, calculating infusions, and identifying incorrect dosages. Throughout this post our DiaMedical USA Nurse Educator will highlight 5 of the most important reasons instructors should utilize different simulated IV fluids throughout the semester.