Athletic training students at Appalachian State University recently put their skills to the test during a series of simulated clinical scenarios that took place on-site at the university’s Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences on April 12.
The scenarios, which were not disclosed to the students ahead of time, included:
- A patient overdosing on pain medication.
- A football player with a severe neck injury.
- A patient with a knee injury whose father simultaneously goes into cardiac distress.
- A patient with an open leg fracture.
- A patient with a case of appendicitis.
- A patient having an allergic reaction to a bee sting.
These simulations, officially known as Objective Structured Clinical Evaluations (OSCEs), increase students’ confidence, prepare them for independent clinical practice and allow them to gain experience as the lead clinician in a situation — a distinct experience for a student, said App State’s Laurie Rivera ’97, lead coordinator for OSCEs.
“My favorite part of the simulation is seeing students grow as clinicians and become more confident in their skills. The students enjoy the realism of the cases and the ‘surprises’ that arise,” said Rivera, who also serves as coordinator of clinical education and a senior lecturer in App State’s Master of Science in athletic training program.