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Simulation Tech Offers Real-Life Healthcare Training

Robot works as patients during medical simulator trainings. (MishaelPervak – stock.adobe.com)SANTEE, Calif. — (Aug. 22, 2019) — Simulation training continues to make waves by offering future healthcare workers technology to practice real-life medicine.

With a $100,000 grant recently awarded by the Grossmont Healthcare District, the Grossmont Health Occupations Center in Santee will provide students hands-on training to practice full assessments, emergency scenarios, and injection and IV training.

The Health Occupations Center provides high quality, affordable academic opportunities in the growing workforce sector, and it comes just in time for many East County families considering a career in healthcare.

The latest projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 23 percent increase in healthcare support occupations, and a 15 percent increase in healthcare practitioners and technical occupations between 2016 and 2026, with home health aides expected to be the third fastest-growing occupation in all industries.

As part of Grossmont Adult Education, the Center offers training and certification in 12 healthcare careers and a variety of continuing education topics in medicine for between 2,200 and 2,800 students annually.The simulation training equipment being purchased with District funds will offer a new experience for students, who will now consistently learn through scenarios involving mannequins that speak, breathe, and demonstrate vital signs, along with computer stations and models to record and review scenarios.

“Simulation replicates real-life healthcare events for the purpose of teaching and learning,” said Heather Peterson, Director of the Health Occupations Center. “Exposing our students, many recruited from local high schools, to simulation technology will lead to better patient care.”

Though not new, the advances in creating life-like simulator patients has dramatically improved in recent years.

“Human simulators have evolved into incredibly lifelike partners in healthcare education,” said Barry Jantz, CEO of the Grossmont Healthcare District. “They have become valuable tools in teaching healthcare students about patient interaction and improving teamwork.”

The Health Occupations Center plans to purchase and set up the simulation equipment by February 2020, with full classroom immersion expected by June 2020.

“We hope to demonstrate the simulation training at the advisory board meetings and the bi-annual open house events happening in spring 2020,” Peterson said. “Around that time, we hope to expand our course offerings to other East County communities, such as Alpine.”

Visit the Health Occupations Center website to learn more about its programming.

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