6 VITALITY Fall 2023 CMH NEWS CMH and BTC take new approach to clinical rotations A new program by Citizens Memorial Hospital and Bolivar Technical College gives nursing students a different approach to clinical rotations. Nine CMH nurses completed a six-week training program this summer to be academic clinical preceptors for BTC nursing students. The preceptor model pairs a CMH nurse with one or two nursing students for academic training. “The preceptor model allows more personalized instruction than large clinical groups,” says Erin Mock, Director of Nursing Education at BTC. “Preceptors adapt instruction based on the student’s academic level of training in a fully immersed environment.” “This is a new and innovative approach to addressing the nursing shortages colleges are seeing as it relates to having enough clinical instructors,” says Sarah Hanak, Chief Nursing Officer at CMH. “At the same time, it gives bedside nurses a new opportunity to earn extra pay by teaching nursing students.” Grant funding from the Missouri State Board of Nursing funded the preceptor training program. “The CMH nurses that participated in the training were phenomenal,” Mock says. “They really brought CMH values into the class, making it a super successful pilot program thus far.” VR ENTERS THE NURSING CLASSROOM With a virtual reality (VR) headset strapped to their heads, nursing students at Bolivar Technical College (BTC) practice real-life medical scenarios. A student’s actions may appear strange without context. But watching the scenario through the connected computer screen reveals how each movement is a step in practicing real-world nursing skills. A student may stand at a patient’s bedside and use a stethoscope to listen to the patient’s chest. Then they might retrieve insulin from the medicine cabinet, measure it and administer it. They can place oxygen on the patient and talk to them and a family member. That is just one of many possible scenarios. The immersive experience allows students to practice critical thinking and decision-making skills. The VR training system covers many scenarios, including patient assessments, wound care, medication administration and infection control. “VR brings new experiences and opportunities to our students at the touch of a button,” says Lucinda Schmidt, BTC Simulation and Skills Center Coordinator. “I can select a scenario for students to immerse themselves in that will help to bring their classroom lectures to life. I also can provide a simulation for those having trouble with a skill or topic to make those connections and feel empowered when caring for real patients.” FOR MORE INFORMATION about nursing degrees at BTC, call 417-777-5062, send an email to info@ bolivarcollege.edu or send a text message to 417-771-3543. An Elsevier representative trains Courtney Sulltrop on how to use the virtual reality equipment in a simulation. Sulltrop is an instructor and practical nursing program coordinator at Bolivar Technical College.
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