The Universities at Shady Grove (USG)

“Good morning, Mrs. Jones, how are you feeling today?”

USG’s Building I is the home of eight nursing simulation labs. Why are simulation labs important? In the words of UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, “Clinical simulation allows students to gain experience through participating in highly realistic case scenarios under faculty supervision.” She continued saying such experience “builds competency and confidence without the potential for compromising patients’ safety.” In other words, wouldn’t you rather I learn to insert a catheter on a manikin (not a typo, that’s just how it’s spelled in simulation land) first before I perform one on you? I knew you’d agree.

Waiting patiently for a blood pressure reading.

On first glance (especially at night), the lab may look like the Mattel Haunted Hospital (“Syringes sold separately!”), but these “patients” are vital to our nursing education. Nicole E. Smith, MS, RN, CNE, CHSE, Clinical Instructor and Clinical Simulation Lab Coordinator at Shady Grove, says, “Students learn how to give bed baths, obtain a blood pressure, insert urethral catheters, care for multiple patients at one time, and resuscitate a patient after a cardiac or respiratory event among many other skills. One of our high fidelity manikins can sweat, bleed, talk, and respond physiologically to various nursing interventions.”

Most of the nursing instructors at Shady Grove did not learn their nursing skills on manikins. Smith says that students used to give injections into an orange and learned many other nursing skills at an actual patient’s bedside. Mary Pat Ulicny, MS, MHA, RN, CNE, Clinical Instructor and Clinical Simulation Lab Director at Shady Grove (and who also happens to be my academic advisor), adds, “One of the manikins has the ability to recognize medication dose and type as well as the ability to read how fast a medication is being given and can then physiologically respond to this intervention in a realistic way. It is all done through bar code recognition. That is an amazing feature to me.” I think we’ve come a long way from practicing on citrus fruit…

Manikins come in all sizes!

Ulicny also shared a bit about why simulation is so important to the nursing process. “The simulation experience allows students to have an interactive, experiential encounter that mimics the real-life clinical setting where skills are completed, but also clinical judgment and reasoning are emphasized during the simulated learning encounter.” And learning in the labs is just the beginning. Once we demonstrate proficiency on a certain skill, we can perform that skill in our clinical rotations at local hospitals (on real live patients!), under our clinical instructor’s watchful eye, of course. Most patients are receptive to being a part of the learning process. Although one of my patients looked a little apprehensive and after I gave him the choice, chose to have the RN do his injection. The bottom line is that we want all patients to feel as comfortable as possible—another skill we learn during simulation.

So I hope I have assuaged any fears you may have about the “Manikins in Building I” and they don’t seem so scary anymore. But because it’s right before Halloween, I wanted to share something truly scary. Guess who will be attending her 35th high school reunion October 28? Me, that’s who. Now, that is truly frightening…Yikes!

In my leadership development class, students were sent daily mood surveys from September 5 through September 19. Recall that students in the PT MBA program are not just students, most of us hold full time jobs too.

The purpose of the mood survey was to map out how exactly we are feeling at work on a daily basis. The surveys were sent electronically and, of course, sent during working hours. Upon completion of 14 days of survey taking, we would have data comparing our score to the class average score.

The day we received our scores, I noticed my scores in all of the positive categories were way above the class average, while my scores in the negative categories were all below the class average. Essentially, this meant I was feeling much happier, but also much less anxiety and negativity than the average student/working professional in my class (there are about 42 of us in class).

So, how did I do it? I definitley focus on perspective. To me, perspective is your attitude toward a circumstance or how you choose to view a situation in light of whatever positive and negatives may exist. Below are 3 ideas on how to design your perspective to create a happy work, home, school environment:

• Grattitude – This is the most significant feeling that shapes my perspective. Many times, we take small blessings for granted. We live a life of entitlement. For example, we expect to have a functioning car to take us to work everyday or we expect our loved ones to be present for us eternally. We should understand that nothing is promised to us. We should be looking at our lives through a lense of gratitude, especially for things we take for granted on a daily basis.
  • How to: Write down 3 things you are grateful for and 3 things you look forward to in the coming week, list things you take for granted and put more effort into appreciating small wins
• Consider the Circumstances – A lot of times we are hard on ourselves without considering the circumstances we are facing. Considering your circumstances isn’t a means to excuse negative behavior, but instead understand the context under which something happens or exists. If we consider our circumstances, we can then be more realistic about ourselves.
  • How to: Think about what influences your decisions, be aware of the real circumstances by facing real truths. Sometimes, we create false truths for ourselves, and we need a friend or colleague to open our eyes to the real facts in the matter.
• Every experience is a learning experience – No matter good or bad, every experience we live is an experience we can learn something from. If we view life in this lense, then we always gain something worth noting in our day-to-day lives.
  • How to: Think about prior work or school experience and reflect on major takeaways from those times. Try to apply this same thinking in the present moment.

     As an Elementary Education major, lesson plans are supposed to come to us naturally and easily. I have to be honest, I love teaching and love making lesson plan ideas. However, the lesson plans we have to write require so many details and technicalities that I know I have the thought about before, but never really put too much effort into making a note of them in my lesson plans. These seemingly small, but actually huge details are starting to make a difference in my teaching.

     I would often fantasize about “the ideal classroom” and think about who well I am going to do, and how amazing my lessons will be. I just have rarely taken into consideration modifications that I will need to make. There are so many programs and other resources in place for “the non-traditional student” throughout Montgomery County Public Schools. There is different technologies that the county grants to students who need them. Things as simple as a different graphic organizer could help engage some students even more! Paperwork like I.E.P.s make such a difference in the lives of students who have disabilities. I am so grateful that Towson has my major as a dual major (Elementary Education and Special Education) because it has allowed me to explore many more ways to any and all students reach their highest potential in my classroom, and perhaps even outside of my classroom walls.

     I am truly learning how to be a better teacher for my future classroom. With all the techniques that I have learned this semester (and I’m sure there is millions more to come), I feel even more confident in myself that when the time comes for me to start my  student teaching, I will be able to teach all students in fun, engaging, but also very purposeful ways.  

As a full-time employee, a graduate student, and a bride to-be planning a wedding, I sometimes cannot help but feel a bit overwhelmed. When I started feeling overly exhausted mentally and physically, I knew I had to figure out strategies that will help me become more productive and organized.

I remembered during my last year in undergrad that I was taking 12-15 credits, working around 20 hours a week, applying to graduate school, and actively involved in the Students Council as Chair of Events and Initiatives, Peer Advisory Team, and the Psychology Student Association. How was I able to do everything? It was time management and organization. With my new found realization, I had to take action to ensure that I not only survive my program but also become successful.

 Time Management and Organization

Time management means prioritizing your responsibilities. I compiled some strategies  that I think work well. Below, I provided some examples of  what you can use.

• Use a planner and/or a calendar

I do not know what I will do without my planner. I will be literally lost without it because I will not know what I have to do. I started using both my physical planner as well as the Google Calendar. I love both because it helps me see what I have to do every day.

• 24-hour Sheet

The 24-hour sheet is extremely useful when you start to plan what you have to do. I typically use this sheet to help me see the gaps where I can schedule in my study/homework time. This way, if schedule my study time, I will not feel like I have to spend the whole day studying rather than having two-hour blocks of study time every day.

• To-do List

For those who knows me well, I ALWAYS have a to do list with me. This helps me list what I need to do for the day and prioritize what needs to be done first. I use this at work and in my personal life at a daily basis. At work, I have a weekly to do list where I list what needs to be done at which day. At home, I list my errands in my notepad so I can remember what to do.

If you feel overwhelmed, ALWAYS start with a 24-hour sheet to help you see exactly how you use your time during the week. This will bring everything in perspective and make you realize that you have time to do everything. I also created Kim’s Organize Me website where you can find more ideas on how to stay organized.

Did you know that the Center for Academic Success (CAS) offer academic coaching? They offer the following services to help you become successful during your time at USG.

• Time management
• Organization
• Motivation
• Test-taking and preparation
• General study skills
• Reading
• Stress management