Clinical Learning Center
The School's Clinical Learning Center (CLC) has transformed the education of our students. The specialized, state-of-the-art facility provides an interactive environment that simulates a variety of learning environments. Students experience clinical situations in a controlled environment with faculty available. Simulated conditions are carefully chosen and often represent events that occur infrequently during supervised clinical hours. The technology enables replication of the same condition for many clinical groups. Simulation allows for practicing assessment skills, priority setting, decision-making, and developing clinical judgment.
Computerized life-like Human Patient Simulators (HPS) are sometimes referred to as high-fidelity simulators. These manikins simulate patient responses, such as heart sounds, lung sounds, and verbal responses. Some HPS manikins breathe, have audible heart sounds, and can be programmed to have specific responses after desired interactions are implemented.
The Clinical Learning Center is utilized by undergraduate and graduate nursing students. The Center is located on the second floor of the School of Nursing Building. There are forty four patient areas in the CLC, with physical exam tables and hospital beds. Specialty equipment areas include an area for pulmonary and respiratory care, intravenous insertion arms for IV starts and blood drawing, three Virtual IV tm computer stations, and our 40 student audio-visual classroom.
Not all scenarios are high tech. Some scenarios deal with sample patient nurse communication, or other high risk or difficult communication situations. The CLC is able to simulate an actual inpatient hospital setting. Using actual patient (without identifying data) situations, multi-disciplinary teams can interact by making patient rounds, practice patient to health care provider communication, and develop priorities in care. Students or manikins can be "patients" in these situations. Anyone interested in participating or observing scenarios or simulations in action is encouraged to contact CLC staff.
Organizations
Society for Simulation in Healthcare
International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning
Our Staff
Sandra Voll
Director, Clinical Learning Center
Clinical Assistant Professor
Contact Sandra Voll
804-827-0629 office
804-828-7743 fax
Use of the Clinical Learning Center
Faculty who wish to discuss scenario development, or CLC time for students in classes they teach, should email Sandy Voll for a meeting time.
The CLC is open almost daily for walk-in practice. Students are encouraged to call before their arrival. The CLC is available to practice nursing skills, physical assessment, or if anyone is interested in volunteering as simulated patients for scenarios, please contact any of the CLC staff via phone (804) 828-3991 or email svoll@vcu.edu.
View a brief tour of the CLC using Quicktime or iTunes. Download .m4a file.
