Hands-on learning experiences are fundamental in emergency nursing, so it’s no surprise that the ultrasound, cadaver and skills labs were so popular among Emergency Nursing 2024 attendees.
Nurses engaged in hands-on learning at the ultrasound lab, enhancing their skills and knowledge through practical experience.
Organized in partnership with Teleflex, a global provider of medical technology and education for emergency nursing professionals, the sessions were tailored to provide real-world scenarios, enabling participants to gain confidence and proficiency in handling high-stakes situations.
At the ultrasound lab, a small group of participants worked with a clinical instructor to get comfortable with the machine. During the Rapid Peripheral Vascular Assessment module, nurses used each other’s arms to explore the anatomy of the forearm through the ultrasound and learn how to interpret the images. The other module was called Lead-the-Tip, which involved using an ultrasound machine and an arm model to visualize the needle as the clinician attempts vascular access.
The ultrasound lab provided a safe and controlled environment to practice skills that are elemental to ED nurses’ practice.
“We have a device that simulates tissue, so you can scan it with the ultra and you can poke it, and it’s like you’re doing it on a real person,” said Brandon Burney, manager of clinical affairs for Teleflex. “They can get the experience without having to practice on each other.”
He adds that simulation has limitations, including that it simulates an ideal anatomy, which facilitates practice. However, patients have a wide variety of presentations. Still, the experience was a great opportunity for many. In the case of Nicole Hillis, AND, RN, the ultrasound lab was one of her priorities at the conference because it gave her a one-stop shop for all her hands-on experience needs.
Nurses at the cadaver lab gowned up and took all necessary precautions to get up close and personal with the interventions they were practicing, ensuring both safety and an immersive learning experience.
“I work at a rural hospital in Nebraska, and we just don’t have a lot of educational opportunities,” Hillis explained. “We would have to drive at least an hour away to the closest college to get hands-on clinical education. This was a good opportunity to get experience and hear from experts in a short time.”
Others, like Matthew Rhea, AND, EMT-P, NRP, seize any opportunity to practice a skill as it contributes to a high-level of confidence when performing a skill.
“I learn better that way, when you show me and then let me do it,” Rhea said. “And it’s great to be able get a good understanding of the gross anatomy during interventions like an advanced airway. You get to see the other side.”
At Sharpen Your Skills in the Experience Hall, clinical educators from Teleflex lined up to demonstrate techniques and the tools and products required to use them. The skills, which are essential to the ED, included incision and drainage, digital nerve block, suturing, intraosseous access and even critical children crisis.
At Sharpen Your Skills in the Experience Hall, participants gained exposure to a variety of interventions, including incision and drainage, digital nerve block, and suturing.
The packed room was evidence of how much value clinicians get from hands-on practice. And it’s not just valuable for participants. Jaclyn Smith, clinical educator from Teleflex, shared her excitement at being part of Emergency Nursing 2024.
“It’s interesting to hear how people do certain things differently,” Smith explained. “EDs have their unique processes, or they might see patients that other nurses don’t get to see as much in another setting, so coming together to share knowledge in such an exciting event is very cool.”