ETSU’s College of Nursing students have received portable skills training kits that will assist with hands-on learning during COVID-19.

During a normal semester, in-person labs and clinicals are critical to the college of nursing curriculum, but COVID-19 presented healthcare students with many obstacles. For tactile learning to continue, distribution of 1,200 SimuMed kits began in February.

Before the SimuMed kits were secured, the faculty got creative.

Melessia Webb, associate dean for undergraduate programs. (Contributed/ETSU)

“We couldn’t send a trach tube home with every student because of the cost so she [a coordinator] came up with the idea of using a large pasta noodle,” said Melessia Webb, associate dean for undergraduate programs in ETSU’s College of Nursing. “And that was the trach where the student could do the trach care using the noodle.”

Students who are enrolled in a nursing-specific course and ETSU College of Nursing faculty will receive a kit. Distribution of the SimuMed kits is ongoing.

“March Madness — we changed it to March SimuMed madness,” said Webb.

The kits include 16 distinct skills students can practice at home and in the classroom. Skills include administering eye, nose and ear drops, tracheotomy care, wound dressing and injections.

Now, instead of waiting in line to use life sized mannequins, students can practice skills at their desks and easily maintain social distancing. Nursing students were excited to have personal realistic practice.

The SimuMed kits are dishwasher safe and are the only product of its kind. Before SimuMed, nursing students utilized clinical simulations online.

Student fees were used to provide the SimuMed kits.

“Also, we hope to continue to use these at home so that they can continue to practice on their own,” said Webb, “They’ve got their own skills trainer with them at all times, and hopefully their skills will improve.”

SimuMed kits will continue to be used after classes return to normal so that students can practice their skills wherever they are. Webb commented on the importance of bridging the gap between cognition and application, and these portable kits accomplish that.

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