Environmental Control | Facilities

The Academy suggests that simulation facilities replicate as much as possible the real patient setting. The expense of a completely real environment is limiting, but there is a threshold above which the "feel" of a real facility is reached. That is important.

A typical existing nursing or respiratory or medical assisting lab should already have many of the requirements for a patient unit. Such items as beds, laundry bags, drug carts and similar equipment are probably in use now. The big difference comes with the control room, staging, and debriefing areas. Follow the links provided below to learn more about each area.

The following are considered as minimal requirements for a patient unit.
- Hospital Bed or stretcher as used in local hospital
- Gas outlets above bed or nearby for Trauma or Surgery
- Carts for laundry, wound care, IV therapy, isolation, etc.
- Work station with computer and internet or intranet connection
- Control Room for remote operation of patients and recordings
- Staging area for preparing and repairing patients, storage of "parts."
- Recording system sufficient to provide feedback during operation of patients.
- Debriefing room. Critical to having students perform self evaluation