DiaMedical Journal

A hospital bed is a major investment for any simulation lab, and instructors want a bed that will meet the learning needs of students as well as deliver many years of reliable use. However, with so many options it can be difficult choosing a bed for your healthcare education program. This week’s episode focuses on three fantastic med-surg hospital bed options for training:

Infusion therapy refers to the administration of fluids, medications or nutrients directly into a patient's bloodstream through a needle or catheter. It is commonly used in various medical settings, including hospitals, clinics and home care, making it a vital skill to master for students entering the healthcare field. With the help of simulation equipment, educators are able to provide students with practice that closely mimics real-life clinical settings. Simulation training with equipment like Alaris Medley Infusion Pump Systems from DiaMedical allow students to master skills like infusion therapy without risk to real patients. This style of training enables students to enter the healthcare field with confidence in their ability to provide the Standard of Care throughout clinical practice. To ensure the safety and effectiveness of infusion therapy, here are some best practices:

Finding quality support surfaces to fit your facility’s patient needs can be challenging, especially when patient risk levels differ greatly depending on condition. DiaMedical is proud to offer a solution with MedMattress's Care line of med-surg mattresses designed for every patient risk level aligning with the Braden scale. MedMattress Care Hospital Bed Mattresses provide patient comfort and therapeutic support at every level including home care, advanced care and bariatric care. Created with CertiPUR-US® certified foam, the Care collection ensures a high quality medical mattress solution for all patients. Continue reading below to learn more about Care medical bed mattresses and what makes them a top choice for facilities looking for a turnkey solution for sleep surfaces.

Hands-on training and demonstrations with diagnostic equipment offers numerous benefits and is a great way to implement a variety of core competencies for different healthcare specialties into your training program. DiaMedical Diagnostics offers educators a way to train students on skills like taking vitals, properly using bladder scanners, fetal monitoring and more. Continue reading to learn more about the advantages of training with DiaMedical Diagnostics products.

Safe injection practices are a vital part of ensuring the safety of both healthcare providers and patients in regards to the prevention of needlestick injuries and transmissible diseases. Best practices for injections are part of Standard Precautions and a vital lesson to teach in healthcare training programs. Teaching students best practices can help prepare them for real clinical settings and minimize the risk of needlestick injuries leading to blood borne infections, especially hepatitis C. Continue reading below to learn more about safety needles and injection trainers and the role they play to protect providers from this dangerous blood-borne infection.

Automated medication dispensing systems are now essential fixtures in hospitals to prevent medication errors, streamline inventory management and reduce diversion of controlled substances. SimServeRx ™ Medication Dispensing Systems are designed specifically for healthcare education and allow instructors to simulate the medication administration process from start to finish. Featuring a comprehensive software package with simulated eMAR, med orders, drug library and inventory management, SimServeRx™ is widely recommended for educators looking to implement medication management simulations into their curricula. Exclusive features like pre-programmed patient profiles and the SimReset function provide plug-and-play convenience so SimServeRx™ is ready to use upon arrival at your sim lab!

Automated Medication Dispensing Systems are now standard fixtures in hospitals to prevent medication errors in nursing, streamline inventory management and reduce diversion of controlled substances. They are also complex tools that require hands-on training before use with patients in clinical settings. The SimServeRx™ ESS Bedside SmartCarts are designed with this purpose in mind as they allow students to use an eMAR, barcode scanner and electronically controlled drawers to practice patient safety with medication administration. However, it can be challenging for educators to decide between the Bedside SmartCart and the Advanced Bedside SmartCart for their simulation lab. Continue reading to learn more about which option is best suited for your program and healthcare simulations.

The importance of simulation in healthcare education has been well established but creating realistic learning environments for EMS programs has traditionally been a challenge. As a result, students have few opportunities to practice essential skills such as securing a cot and initializing treatment in the confined space of an ambulance. DiaMedical recognized this need and created SimRig The Ambulance Trainer to help prepare all levels of EMS students for their first day on the job.

Adding an automated medication dispensing system to your simulation lab is exciting but it can also be a daunting task for educators who are not familiar with the advanced technology. Thankfully, the SimServeRx™ medication management system is specifically designed for ease of use with pre-programmed patient profiles that make it ready to “plug and play” right away in your sim lab. Continue reading to learn more about what to expect when a SimServeRx™ Medication Dispensing Cabinet or Bedside Administration Cart arrives on your campus.

The end of the school year is the perfect opportunity for simulation lab directors to take a look at their supplies and equipment to determine what will be needed for the next year. Any leftover funds can be used to make these purchases, but budget deadlines are approaching quickly. DiaMedical is ready to help with a wide variety of healthcare training items that are ready to ship.

One of the most difficult tasks educators face is creating realistic simulation scenarios for students. By engaging in scenarios that closely mimic real-life clinical settings, students are afforded the opportunity to master core competencies as well as gain the confidence to perform in real practice. DiaMedical is proud to offer resources like our Tuesday Teachings video series that serve as a guide to instructors everywhere on how to create realistic and impactful simulation scenarios for students. On this week’s Tuesday Teachings episode, we discuss how educators can utilize a few key products to transform simulations and advance education, all while staying within budget. The video features products like the SimVS Fetal Monitor, Simulaids Rescue Randy Manikin, SimLabSolutions Loaded Postpartum Hemorrhage Cart and a variety of SimRx Simulated Medications and Platelet/Plasma Bags being utilized to easily replicate conditions such as Epidural Anesthesia, Preeclampsia, Umbilical Cord Prolapse and Postpartum Hemorrhage. Watch the full video below to learn how instructors can simulate these scenarios right in their classroom!

Naloxone is the standard treatment for opioid overdose as it is able to reverse the effects of overdose when administered and in March 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Narcan for over-the-counter sale. Consumers can now purchase Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for over-the-counter, non-prescription, use (1). The approval of naloxone nasal spray is intended to help increase access to the life-saving treatment as a means to combat the growing opioid epidemic.

Specialties like Maternal Health have become increasingly vulnerable in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its effect on nursing education/clinical practice availability. Simulation training is crucial in today’s healthcare education climate as it affords students the opportunity to practice skills without risk to patients. In this week’s Tuesday Teachings video we explore a simulation scenario featuring students tasked to care for a laboring mother who experiences a prolapsed umbilical cord. This simulation utilizes the SimVS Fetal Monitor from the SimVS Hospital OB Virtual Diagnostic Platform as well as the SimVS Nurse Call System. The SimVS Fetal Monitor is an essential tool for OB training as it allows instructors to adjust fetal heart rate and uterine contractions in response to student interventions. Exclusive features like pre-programmed scenarios and a price point that’s a fraction of the cost of high-fidelity birthing manikins makes the SimVS Fetal Monitor a favorite among educators everywhere. Watch the full video below to see this product in use!

National Nurses Week is celebrated May 6th-12th and is a time to acknowledge the dedication and effort put forth by those in the nursing profession. Supported by the American Nurses Association (ANA), the nursing profession is an essential component of the healthcare system and here at DiaMedical our mission is to improve the quality of healthcare by providing educators the tools they need to help shape the future generation of healthcare professionals. As we use this week to recognize the unwavering commitment made by nurses all over and their dedication to making positive impacts to the healthcare field, we want to honor our very own on-staff Nurse Educator Sally O’Meara, MSN, RN. With over 30 years of experience as a registered nurse and 15 years of teaching experience, Sally brings expertise and passion to healthcare education and provides both students and instructors with all the tools to run innovative and cost-effective healthcare simulations! Continue reading below to learn more and enjoy our latest video featuring a sit down with Sally discussing her journey through nursing practice and career at DiaMedical!

Manikins and simulators are a great way to enhance healthcare education, as they bring a new level of realism to traditional classroom settings. When utilized in simulation scenarios, students are able to get more in-depth practice on various skills and procedures, creating an opportunity to master skills validations and gain the confidence to perform in a real-life situation. DiaMedical is a provider of hundreds of manikins, simulators and skills trainers from several manufacturers for a wide range of curriculum and program needs. From pre-hospital and emergency scenarios to specialized care like obstetrics and pediatrics, DiaMedical has you covered. We also offer a wide variety of high and low-fidelity manikins so instructors have all the tools needed to teach students any skill, no matter how advanced. These high-fidelity simulations made possible by some of our medical manikin options provide a key advantage by allowing students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a clinical setting that looks and feels life-like (1). This level of realism supplied by full-body manikins that mimic human physiology is highly beneficial when it comes to preparing future health professionals for real-life scenarios in their practice.

Though pediatric simulation scenarios in healthcare education aren’t practiced as heavily as other simulation scenarios, data shows when being treated for life-threatening events, infants and children have higher mortality and morbidity rates (2). This can in part be traced back to the weaknesses that have existed within pediatric emergency care for quite some time. Pediatric care is not simply a scaled down approach to adult care, as it’s specialized and requires a different skill set and expertise. Specific training that teaches physicians to recognize the physiologic and emotional differences in care between infants/children and adults is vital in order to effectively meet the healthcare needs of pediatric patients (1).

Medical error has climbed to be among the leading causes of death, with a large portion attributed to various medication errors in nursing like improper dosage or wrong infusion rate. In response to the alarming statistics on preventable harm, the week of April 1st-7th is recognized as Medication Safety week. In efforts to draw awareness to the importance of patient safety with medication administration, it’s crucial that both consumers and healthcare professionals are educated in medication management, storage and usage. This week aims to reduce medication error through means of education and training, as well as encourage understanding of pharmaceutical interactions with other drugs, supplements and foods. At DiaMedical, we are proud to be the exclusive provider of the SimServeRx™, a medication management system that educates students on the importance of the 5 rights of medication administration.

In this week’s Tuesday Teachings episode, we explore a pediatric resuscitation simulation featuring the Loaded 9 Drawer Pediatric Crash Cart by SimLabSolutions. Pediatric mock codes are a great way to improve competence and teamwork in a safe, controlled environment as pediatric code situations warrant higher risk of medication error due to dosage miscalculations. Fortunately, the Loaded 9 Drawer Pediatric Crash Cart contains all of the simulated medications and supplies needed to effectively practice these simulation scenarios. Designed specifically for peds resuscitation training, this cart features color coded drawers organized according to the Broselow system which is the standard for emergency pediatric care.