Simulation Modalities

Simulation Modalities

The Interprofessional Simulation Center promotes patient safety through the integration of a wide range of simulation modalities designed to enhance clinical competence, teamwork, and decision-making. These modalities include, but are not limited to, client-to-class, simulators, simulated participants, and task trainers. The Center aligns all simulation activities with established best practices and evidence-based standards in healthcare simulation, fostering safe, effective, and collaborative patient care.

Client-to-Class

Participants generously volunteer to partner with students by sharing their personal healthcare journeys and lived experiences. Their involvement provides learners with meaningful opportunities to develop communication and clinical skills while interacting with individuals who have real diagnoses and authentic patient experiences. These encounters deepen students’ understanding of patient-centered care, fostering empathy, compassion, and professionalism as they prepare to become future healthcare providers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simulators

The Center maintains a diverse inventory of 24 patient simulators representing a range of ages, ethnicities, and levels of fidelity to support healthcare education. Simulation and task training capabilities include obstetric and birthing care, airway management, trauma response, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), cardiac assessment and intervention, intravenous (IV), intraosseous (IO), and intramuscular (IM) injection techniques, medication administration, gastrointestinal assessment through gastric sound simulation, urinary output monitoring, and neurologic assessments. These resources provide learners with realistic, hands-on experiences that strengthen clinical competence and promote safe, evidence-based patient care.

 

 

 

 

Simulated Participants (SP)

Simulated Participants (SPs) are part-time employees of Elon University who are trained to consistently portray specific medical conditions and clinical scenarios. Their participation provides learners with realistic opportunities to develop patient-centered communication, history-taking, and physical examination skills in a safe and supportive learning environment. Following each encounter, SPs provide constructive feedback from the participant’s perspective, helping students strengthen their interpersonal communication, clinical reasoning, and professionalism while enhancing the overall educational experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Task Trainers

Task trainers are anatomically accurate models designed to help learners develop and refine specific clinical and procedural skills in a safe, controlled environment. These hands-on training tools allow students to build competence and confidence through deliberate practice before performing procedures in clinical settings. Available task trainers support instruction in airway management, intravenous (IV) insertion, wound care, nasogastric (NG) tube placement, tracheostomy care, lumbar puncture, cardiac auscultation, pelvic examinations, breast examinations, and fetal monitoring.