When undergraduate BSN students in their third and fourth semester wanted more prioritization/critical thinking simulations in their second semester, UNMC nursing instructors made it happen.
Instructors Cathy Binstock, Brittany Schlueter and Sandy Sasse developed a simulation called the "RRT sim."
With the permission of instructor Elizabeth Bockoven, who coordinates simulation for semester two, the team developed an evolving RRT (rapid response team) simulation. The simulation starts with the semester two students assessing an elderly patient with pneumonia. As the patient’s vital signs deteriorate, the students have access to a charge nurse and RRT nurse, which are semester four students.
Semester four students practice mock codes in the third and fourth semester, organizers said, so combining the two groups was a great fit for learning. Through the simulation, students also learn to problem solve and work as a team.
At the end of the simulation, Binstock, Schlueter and Jessica Miller, PhD, debrief with the students and discuss what went right and/or wrong, the patient’s condition, medications, labs and the differences with an RRT and code. Initially, there is some hesitation and nervousness about what to expect and what to do, organizers say, but in the end, it appears to be a great learning for students in their second and fourth semesters.