Shirley Gharbin
RN/ Clinical Instructor
TIP Idea: Cardiac Rhythms and Code Blue Review
Idea #1
I teach senior nursing students in their final medical/ surgical rotation and many of my students struggle to recognize the cardiac rhythms and the effects in terms of code blue situations. My students read about cardiac rhythms and practice interpreting them, along with code blue practice on a plastic manikin. However, there is still a disconnect and an element of fear that inhibits most students from grasping a firm hold on the knowledge concept and real life applications of that concept. Here's where I think technology play a major role. Imagine a hands on, interactive, computer programmable transparent practice manikin in which you are able to clearly visualize the heart and other internal organs along with all the blood vessels. The manikin would have sensors that would respond to physical action that the students perform. There would be computer programed code blue situations and cardiac rhythms that would be exhibited on the manikin. For example, the students will be able to see the manikin's heart go from a normal heart rhythm into a lethal rhythm such as ventricular fibrillation and actually see the heart quivering in the chest wall and be able to defibrillate or shock the manikin heart and visually see the response internally. They would also be able to perform chest compression and also see the response. I think this would eliminate some of the fear factor and actually stimulate more interest in learning.
Idea #2
Cardiac rhythm and code blue interactive computer software game/ learning tool that can be used to home . The students would be able to do the same activities that they would with the interactive transparent manikin but it would be on the computer.
RN/ Clinical Instructor
TIP Idea: Cardiac Rhythms and Code Blue Review
Idea #1
I teach senior nursing students in their final medical/ surgical rotation and many of my students struggle to recognize the cardiac rhythms and the effects in terms of code blue situations. My students read about cardiac rhythms and practice interpreting them, along with code blue practice on a plastic manikin. However, there is still a disconnect and an element of fear that inhibits most students from grasping a firm hold on the knowledge concept and real life applications of that concept. Here's where I think technology play a major role. Imagine a hands on, interactive, computer programmable transparent practice manikin in which you are able to clearly visualize the heart and other internal organs along with all the blood vessels. The manikin would have sensors that would respond to physical action that the students perform. There would be computer programed code blue situations and cardiac rhythms that would be exhibited on the manikin. For example, the students will be able to see the manikin's heart go from a normal heart rhythm into a lethal rhythm such as ventricular fibrillation and actually see the heart quivering in the chest wall and be able to defibrillate or shock the manikin heart and visually see the response internally. They would also be able to perform chest compression and also see the response. I think this would eliminate some of the fear factor and actually stimulate more interest in learning.
Idea #2
Cardiac rhythm and code blue interactive computer software game/ learning tool that can be used to home . The students would be able to do the same activities that they would with the interactive transparent manikin but it would be on the computer.