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Simulation Teaching Tools
Student in the surgery lab
The Physician Assistant program makes extensive use of simulated learning methods for all students. This helps prepare students for the clinical experience of clerkships while on rotation.
Surgery Skills Center
Des Moines University Surgery Skills Center is located in Ryan Hall. The center includes simulation model labs, a computer technology lab and a simulation operating room lab. Basic Surgical Skills instruction emphasizes the fundamentals of basic aseptic technique theory and suturing.
Harvey the Cardiac Simulator
The cardiac simulator is designed to reproduce abnormal heart sounds to teach students what murmurs, clicks, rubs, etc sound like. The sounds are used in conjunction with lectures on physiology and anatomy to help students learn what causes these abnormal heart sounds to appear. By using Harvey, the students learn how to perform an appropriate cardiac exam, which valves are affected with certain diseases, and how to recognize common abnormal heart sounds.
Student with Harvey the cardiac simulator
Human Simulation Models
The remaining simulators are used to help students learn to care for more critically ill "patients". The mannequins have heart, lung, and bowel sounds which you can program to be normal or abnormal. The students can draw "blood" from the simulators, start IV's, catheterize, defibrillate, intubate, and perform chest compressions. The obstetrical mannequin also can deliver "babies" that are in good health or those that require resuscitation.S.P.A.L.
The Standardized Performance Assessment Lab, or S.P.A..L, is a simulated clinical setting that allows students to develop and refine their communication skills by working with actors trained to portray actual medical cases. Students gain valuable feedback on their diagnostic and communication skills by reviewing videotapes of their performance with simulated patients before seeing actual patients. Learn more about S.P.A.L. »
DxR
To foster clinical skills, students use Diagnostic Reasoning (DxR) software. DxR provides a computer-based case history; students then work their way through a patient's history and physical, order appropriate labs and x-rays, and use all the information to formulate a diagnosis. A faculty member guides the students through the case studies.
