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In a dark auditorium packed with more than 1,000 high school and college students, all eyes are transfixed on an emergency room reenactment. A medical team works to resuscitate a 17-year-old who was texting while driving and has suffered multiple injuries.
As the teen’s sister stands by his side and the mother wails for her son, the emergency room nurse delivers devastating news. In the final scene, the team zips the teenager into a body bag and wheels him away.
Faulkner State Community College uses patient simulation to teach nursing and health sciences students to respond to patient trauma. The faculty has also created a simulation to raise community awareness about the dangers of texting and driving.
The scenario was conceived by two of the college’s adjunct faculty: ER Nurse Carman Godfrey and Flight Nurse Valarie Rumbley. “Both of them see traumatic events on a regular basis, and they had seen numerous texting while driving injuries,” said Faulkner State Nursing Instructor Katrina Allen-Thomas. “I get emails that say 'thank you so much.' I know we’ve saved a life along the way.”
