Code Blue for Level Two + A Doctor = Amazing Education at SPC

CODE BLUE FOR LEVEL TWO + A DOCTOR = AMAZING EDUCATION AT SPC: WITH HUMAN PATIENT SIMULATION---AND A DOCTOR---ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE INNOVATES AND ELEVATES INSTRUCTION FOR ITS LEVEL TWO RESPIRATORY CARE PROGRAM STUDENTS WITH THEIR HISTORY-MAKING FIRST-EVER CODE BLUE DRILLS

About one-third of the entire St. Philip's College respiratory care program student clinical experience is in the St. Philip's College Dr. Frank Bryant, Jr., Patient Simulation Center and Nursing Laboratories, with two-thirds in real-word/real-time at medical facilities in the local area. St. Philip's College students made a bit of college history this month when the college enhanced the value of this sim experience by adding for the first time an experience most patients would really appreciate the professionals in place to serve on if the unfortunate happened to them---the must-master team skill for the situation known as the Code Blue---with a practicing doctor as part of the groundbreaking drill.

The core of the lab’s sim training is an eight-bed sim-hospital, used by classes of students who are new and experienced veterans of the medical world, preparing to earn academic credentials and awaiting the opportunity to test for their licenses to practice. With operators of such advanced training aids as computerized nursing simulation mannequins assisting, just as a pilot first learns to fly in a simulator that poses no danger to people, evaluators program lifelike simulators to train students to perform their jobs by themselves and as a team.

But what if a real doctor was added to the sim experience? There was a doctor in the house and St. Philip's College students made a bit of college history this month when they found out first-hand how important that can be.

Christa Mitchell (BSRC, RRT, AE-C) is the college's respiratory care technology program director. 

"A Code Blue is a situation where a patient is in need of resuscitation/CPR on an advanced level. Sometimes that would include intubating and mechanically ventilating a patient. The amount of times this occurs is sporadic and completely depends on the patients who are admitted," said Mitchell. 

"We held a mock Code Blue, a simulation in our sim lab with our entire cohort of 31 Level 2 students," said Mitchell.

Mitchell said the overall flow of her groundbreaking simulation project was led by college instructor Elisabeth Caldwell, biomedical engineering technology faculty member Jemal Nelson and Frank R. Bryant Human Patient Simulation Center director Rick Lopez.

“Two of our adjunct instructors---Andy Rodriguez and Gary "Wade' Gulley---functioned in the role of the nurse for the simulation. Our special guest was our medical director Dr. David Marks (MD, LP, FCCP, FAASM). He was the physician in the simulation, and all of the experts in their real-world roles made the simulation as real-life as possible. Dr. Marks gave invaluable individual feedback after every group rotation. We sent groups of five at a time into the operating room and we were analyzing professional performance---assessment, intubation, compression, teamwork, communication and adaptable skills. The plan included debriefing students as our entire cohort watched the individual group team videos. This allowed for all to see improvement opportunities for advancement of techniques," said Mitchell.

The Level 2 St. Philip's College Respiratory Care Technology Program Students in the project were Ashley Barron, Azriel Cantero, Alanna Foster, Adrian Garcia, Ignacio Garcia, Jr., Sofia Gomez, Amanda Herald, Tuwani Jones, Eva Klanica, Christie Kramer, Michelle Lewis, Leslie Lopez, Monica Lovgren, Krisa Mangiameli, Victoria Martinez, Joseph Moncado, Jeri Moore, Kathy Mora, Haley Nickel, Jenelle Pena, Jackelynn Pina, Lauren Pittman, Louie Sanchez, Jr., Lucero Sanchez, Mary Jo Sanchez, Paul Segovia, Samantha Sloan, Tuanh Truong, Jared Vela, Crystal Webster and Virginia Zavala.

The project has been expanded to include the college’s Level 1 students who have recently completed CPR training and will put those sorts of skills and more---without a doctor present---to the test for the first time Oct. 22 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 215 of the Center for Health Professions building, coincidentally coinciding with National Respiratory Therapy Week, said Mitchell.

"October 22 is when we plan to have our first Code Blue with the Level 1 students. This is a great learning opportunity for our students. We’re spending the week innovating and teaching and learning as faculty and staff at the same time," Mitchell said with a smile.

To join the conversation on the Code Blue Project at St. Philip’s College, contact Mitchell at 210-486-2064 - Cell 512-771-9347, cmitchell86@ngskmc-eis.net, or colleague Christian Baker (BSTM, RRT, RCP), the college’s Respiratory Care Technology Program director of clinical education faculty instructor, at 210-486-2667, cbaker110@ngskmc-eis.net.

CAPTION: About one-third of the entire St. Philip's College respiratory care program student clinical experience is in the St. Philip's College Dr. Frank Bryant, Jr., Patient Simulation Center and Nursing Laboratories, with two-thirds in real-word/real-time at medical facilities in the local area. St. Philip's College students made a bit of college history this month as the college enhanced the value of this sim experience by adding for the first time an experience most patients would really appreciate the professionals in place to serve on if the unfortunate happened to them---the must-master team skill for the situation known as the Code Blue---with a practicing doctor as part of the groundbreaking drill. (SPC images by Julysa Sosa)