Summer 2016
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£120k patient simulator will improve patient care
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brand new simulation training centre for staff has been officially opened by the Mayor of Southend and puts Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at the forefront of teaching for new and existing medical staff. The £120k centre is designed to look and feel like a typical patient bay, complete with a sophisticated mannequin that can be used to stage any medical scenario for training and better understanding. Gillian Donohue, a lecturer practitioner who is part of the exciting new centre, said: “Essentially it is like a flight simulator is for pilots but for health care staff, we can replicate any situation and control the environment and the mannequin’s physiological status. “This will allow staff to feel comfortable about managing difficult or rare events and make them more confident, therefore improving patient safety.” Just as it is in actual health care, it is the patient that remains the focus of attention. In this case it is a
Medical staff training with ‘Hal’ mannequin, known as ‘Hal’, all his physiological parameters such as heart and breathing rate, lung sounds and even his blink rate can be altered to realistically mimic any medical situation. Each session is recorded so colleagues can watch the scenario as it unfolds on a TV screen in an adjacent room. Just like Big Brother people forget they are being filmed very quickly. They behave like they behave in clinical practice; it’s a very powerful way of learning.
As well as investment in equipment it is also a real investment in people, staff and patients. Simulation is closely linked with improvements in patient safety which is of paramount importance in the trust and it will really pay dividends for the hospital and its patients. The simulation suite is also getting a smaller paediatric model for training scenarios with children. full story at : Read www.southend.nhs.uk
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Youth governors
The Trust’s council of governors are constantly looking at ways for the trust membership to better reflect the local population. One of those ways is by encouraging younger members to join and ensure their opinions are heard. At an informal governor meeting held earlier this year, the governors were joined by two of the three sixth form pupils from Southend High School for Girls who have volunteered to be Youth Governors. Elinor Wright, Sarah-Jayne Glew and Emily Godsafe, all 18, hope that by attending board meetings and governor groups they can get a better understanding of how the hospital is run as well as learn new skills for their career aspirations. Emily said: “I thought it was a good idea to get a better understanding of the hospital and different disciplines working together.” Elinor added: “I hope to get a better understanding of how the hospital is run.” Governors Les Catley, Joe Cooke and Barbara Oliver were grateful for both girls attending. Les said: “Their contribution was very insightful.”