A new Web site featuring a variety of interactive videos and simulation drills will help better prepare students, health professionals and others who might respond to bioterrorism and public health emergencies.
The website is part of a University of Nebraska Programs of Excellence small project grant awarded to the UNMC College of Nursing. The grant team, led by Carol Pullen, Ed.D., UNMC College of Nursing, includes the School of Allied Health Professions and the Center for Biopreparedness Education.
Project Coordinator Beth Beam said the goal is to create simulations for students to develop critical thinking about how to respond to bioterrorism events.
In the first phase of the grant, the team developed a Web site called Healthcare and Emergency Responder Organization Education through Simulation (HEROES). The www.onlineheroes.org site is tailored to the health care community, but anyone, including first-responders, is welcome to use it. The site is still under development and feedback is welcomed.
Dr. Pullen said using the Internet in addition to traditional approaches aids in learning and enables an unlimited number of students and others to learn in a safe environment.
“We’re working with faculty to fit the content into courses,” Dr. Pullen said. “Simulation experiences provide a vehicle for student learning in a safe and controlled environment. Appropriate integration of simulation into the educational curriculum can ensure a level of competency before procedures are performed on patients. There is a great need for training materials in bioterrorism.
“People learn better by doing and there are not many opportunities to get this experience. This will help people prepare for bioterrorism events or public health emergencies,” she said.
The Web site contains presentations, which include short videos and games ranging from three to seven minutes, as well as other resources. The videos require a current version of Adobe Flash Media Player.
Some of the topics include mental health in disaster, fast acting chemical agents, the difference between small pox and chicken pox, how to properly dress in personal and protective equipment, and how to properly administer treatment for nerve agents.
UNMC users, once registered on the site, can use their Lotus Notes identification and password for access. Other users will be prompted to create an ID and password once they receive registration confirmation.
Beam said a mannequin is used with other tools to teach students to recognize smallpox, anthrax and avian flu.
“Simulation gives students a more real sense of what it may be like in these situations rather than just hearing a lecture about it. It enhances learning. Getting health professionals educated in these issues is a huge task,” she said.
Users can test their knowledge in the Web site’s games section. The virtual patients display vital signs and can be triaged and treated. One of the exercises puts the user in a “hot zone” where patients are contaminated with a nerve agent.
The site’s resources section contains a wealth of information from a variety of sources, including isolation and quarantine, hazardous materials, information on chemical exposure, emergency preparedness, nuclear and radiological terrorism, and response to mass casualties.
Additional phases of the grant are in development to explore other unique ways to educate health professionals and students in responding to bioterrorism and public health emergencies.
Collaborators include Patricia Carstens, UNMC College of Nursing, Philip Smith, M.D., medical director of the Center for Biopreparedness Education, Phyllis Muellenberg, School of Allied Health Professions and Sharon Medcalf, director of the Center for Biopreparedness Education.
For more information, contact Beth Beam, 559-6547.