MCC Nursing & Paramedicine students to test skills in mass casualty simulation

Oct. 1, 2024

Students from McLennan Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program & Paramedicine students will test their preparedness for a community natural disaster with mass casualties in a joint simulation Thursday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m. The scenario will reoccur in 45-minute rotations throughout the day.

The mock scene of a tornado’s aftermath will occur in Parking Lot H near the Science building where patients will be triaged before being transported to the Health Professions Simulation building for treatment. The facility includes two 10-bed simulation wards, a critical care unit, and a trauma area with mid- and high-fidelity simulation manikins that replicate real patients and experiences students may encounter in the field. Control rooms for both sim labs allow instructors to observe students through one-way mirrors and facilitate scenarios with the use of manikins. A state-of-the-art, built-in audio-visual recording system records students during simulations for performance reviews in debriefing rooms or via the Internet.

An ambulance entrance allows students to practice caring for patients in an emergency situation, and an EMS simulation apartment teaches students how to extricate individuals from such an environment.

“The simulation provides an invaluable experience for students in a realistic environment where they can practice critical skills, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure,” said Paramedicine Program Director Justin Lawson. “The goal is for them to apply their learning and theoretical knowledge in practical situations, building their preparedness for real-world emergencies.”