Healthcare Simulation Center Serves as Hospital in Teaching Exercise

As reported at dakotanewsnow.com

Screams for help, patients being carried on stretchers, and first responders rushing into action made Southeast Technical College and CTE Academy look more like an active disaster scene than a campus.

But the chaos was all staged.

Students participated in a large-scale mass casualty simulation designed to give future EMTs and healthcare workers hands-on experience responding to high-stress emergencies.

The day began with a tornado scenario and escalated into additional disaster simulations tailored to realistic threats in the area.

“As an EMT, that critical thinking piece is so important, and in high school, that is probably one of the hardest things to teach,” Drummond said. “So I hope that they can build upon that and feel confident for their test and their exam.”

The training also brought together local fire departments, EMS, law enforcement, and healthcare partners, giving students a chance to see how multiple agencies coordinate during large-scale emergencies.

“We kind of lack confidence since we haven’t had a lot of practice with it, but since they go out and do real-life scenarios almost every day, I feel like their knowledge helped us a lot in the experience,” said EMT student Alexis Binfet.

For many students, the simulation offered their most realistic glimpse yet into the fast-paced environment they may one day work in.

“I don’t actually know what it was, but it was like a ladder thing that they carried someone out on,” Binfet said. “If I wouldn’t have had this experience, I would have never thought to use that in the future, so I just feel like it gave me more ideas and ways that I’m going to be able to help people instead of using the traditional textbook ways.”

The experience also helped affirm Binfet’s interest in healthcare.

“It did reinforce the fact that I want to go into the medical field, like being able to help these people and be able to actually have an impact in what I’m doing,” Binfet said.

While Binfet is still considering whether EMS is the right long-term career path, the simulation gave her a deeper appreciation for the profession.

“I’m still thinking about doing EMS over the summer and while I’m in college. I don’t know if it’s the career for me, but I definitely have more respect for them now,” Binfet said. “This just shows how much work and effort they have to put in every single day just to help one person.”

While the emergencies were staged, organizers say the lessons students walked away with were very real, helping prepare them for the high-pressure decisions, fast critical thinking, and teamwork required in future emergency situations.