Fake disaster gives students emergency experience

[cougarnurse]

Sounded like something we should all learn: Fake Disaster Gives Nursing Students Real Emergency Experience

A mock disaster crisis gave nursing students invaluable experience in emergency triage situations.

A fake tornado struck the BryanLGH College of Health Sciences Monday creating 14 victims with varying injuries.

Fake blood and artificial limbs were used to simulate injuries.

Students assessed each victim and rated their injuries from minor to dead while dealing with panicking victims and bystanders.

Senior Josiah Unger said the exercise is one of a kind and forced him to push aside his nursing instincts for a better good.

"There's no classroom experience that can describe what you have to do out here," said Unger. "You get anxious, you want to stay and help but you need to go help others who are maybe more serious. It's something you can't teach in a classroom and the scenario is a must."

Instructors said their students did very well and fully assessed the situation in under 10 minutes.

"They were fast, they were accurate, they were very controlled and they didn't let their emotions get in the way and I think they were very objective about what they were doing. I think they did a great job," said Cindy Slone, an emergency department instructor.