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\nGive them the wrong medication or dosage, though, and the patient could get worse or not survive. They\u2019re called human patient simulators — mannequins with anatomically correct features, realistic skin-feel, and the ability to deliver high-quality and accurate responses to a variety of medical situations and emergencies. URI students work with four adult mannequins, two child-size units, and one baby. The College of Pharmacy expects the simulators will open up a world of educational possibilities to their student pharmacists.
\n\u201cMany incoming students think that when they graduate, they\u2019ll be going to a local pharmacy and dispensing prescriptions,\u201d said clinical instructor of pharmacy practice and co-director of the lab, Amanda DeAngelis-Chichester<\/a>. \u201cAs the students advance in their education, they realize that the pharmacist plays a critical role on medical teams in hospitals as well as the community. It\u2019s important for students to see how medications are used in the clinical setting.\u201d
\n\u201cBy the end of the simulation portion of the curriculum, students should be able to run their own patient case,\u201d agrees professor and co-director of the lab, Clinton Chichester III<\/a>. In preparation for that collaboration, the simulation lab is open to students in other academic disciplines as well. Students from several disciplines including nursing, communicative disorders, kinesiology and physical therapy use the lab, as do URI emergency medical technicians.
\nThe first simulator came to URI 15 years ago, thanks to a grant from the Champlin Foundations. Since then, the College of Pharmacy has expanded and developed a curriculum that includes use of multiple simulators. The college has also entered into a program with the URI College of Nursing that allows both colleges to get funding for simulators, with half going to nursing and half to pharmacy. Chichester and DeAngelis-Chichester only see the College of Pharmacy\u2019s use of the simulators growing.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been able to break down a lot of barriers since we received the first simulator, Chichester.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still working to get this way of learning to be accepted as a standard, but we\u2019ve come a long way,\u201d said Chichester.
\n\u201cThe students are agents of change,\u201d agrees DeAngelis-Chichester. \u201cThe majority have seen a steady increase in their skills since participating in the simulation lab. We try to incorporate situations that the students will relate to, and that means listening to the students to find out how they learn.\u201d
\nChichester and DeAngelis-Chichester are seasoned faculty in the College of Pharmacy, and they don\u2019t plan to slow down their work with the simulators anytime soon. \u201cWe\u2019ve come so far, and there is still so much to do,\u201d said DeAngelis-Chichester. \u201cWe know our students want more time in the lab, and we\u2019re trying to give it to them. We take the feedback we get very seriously.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s about changing the mindset, and the way that the students learn the material,\u201d said Chichester. \u201cWe know that this way of learning leads to better retention of knowledge, and more developed skills. We know that we just need to keep moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n