CCH Simulation Lab nurses to present at international conference

 

Press release:

(COLUMBUS, Neb.) – Two nurses from Columbus Community Hospital’s Simulation Lab will present an abstract they wrote at an international conference this summer.

Julie Vance, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, RN, NREMT, Simulation Lab coordinator, and Alicia Mueller, MSN, RN, nurse educator, will present their abstract at the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) annual conference.

The conference will be held June 24 to 26 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Vance and Mueller wrote the abstract and Jennifer Swantek, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, nursing education director, reviewed it.

“Hundreds of abstracts are submitted to be a podium speaker in a prestigious conference like this one. To be chosen is a high honor and demonstrates the expertise of Julie and Alicia. We are very proud to have these nurses represent Columbus Community Hospital,” said Dorothy Bybee, RN, MSN/MBA-HC, NEA-BC, CCH vice president of Patient Care Services/chief nursing officer.

The abstract talks about how the CCH Simulation Lab – led by Vance – helped to design, create and implement a simulation to teach health care staff how to better treat cases of malignant hyperthermia.

“Malignant hyperthermia is a high-risk, low-volume crisis which can significantly impact patient outcomes,” said Swantek. “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission have recently published requirements stating that from the time a malignant hyperthermia crisis is identified, staff have 10 minutes to administer a medication to help treat this condition.”

CCH’s malignant hyperthermia simulation helped increase health care providers’ knowledge of the condition and its treatment, as well as helped meet regulatory requirements. 

At the conference, Vance and Mueller’s podium presentation on their abstract will address the significance of malignant hyperthermia and how to design low-cost simulations to practice early recognition and response to malignant hyperthermia cases.

Presenting at an international conference will allow Vance and Mueller to promote simulation as a teaching strategy and connect with others within the simulation field.

“Participation in this conference allows our nursing staff to network with simulation labs and centers throughout the world,” Swantek said. “Our staff are then able to bring back ideas and implement them at our facility. 

Vance and Mueller have been involved with the INACSL for several years. Mueller has been a member since 2014 and Vance has been a member since 2011. Vance also served as an abstract reviewer for INACSL from 2013 to 2017. Presenting at the conference gives Vance and Mueller another professional development opportunity with INACSL.

“We set this as one of our department goals for the year. This was a way that Julie and Alicia could advance in their professional practice, as well as showcase that simulation can be done at any size hospital,” Swantek said.

In addition to its simulation on malignant hyperthermia, CCH’s Simulation Lab has done more than 100 simulations in the last year to train nurses, physicians, students and other health care professionals.

“Our simulation staff does an excellent job at continually assessing the training and practice needs of our hospital staff and developing scenarios/teaching strategies that support evidence-based practice and promote positive patient outcomes,” Swantek said.

To learn more about CCH’s Simulation Lab and the hands-on training it provides, visit www.columbushosp.org.