University News Last updated 28 March 2013
Students from Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences put their clinical and communication skills into practice last week when they joined firefighters to help manage a major incident in a dramatic accident scenario.
A realistic road crash with multiple casualties was staged at the University’s City South campus in Edgbaston.
The West Midlands Fire Service were challenged with rescuing victims from the wreckage, with casualties rushed to the authentic hospital facilities based at Birmingham City University’s state-of-the-art Seacole Building.
Health students were on stand-by to put their expert training into practice in the real-time scenario, whilst volunteers with the latest in simulation techniques took on the role of patients, along with state of the art medical training mannequins.
Adding to the pressure, media students from the University were tasked with acting as a roving news team, eager to get the full story behind the incident.
“The scenario aimed to test students’ communication skills and their ability to work as a multi-disciplinary team – putting them in a situation which they may well find themselves in once they finish University and take on roles in the healthcare sector,” explained Professor Maxine Lintern, Associate Dean at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences.
The event - supported by The Higher Education Academy - included student nurses, paramedics, radiographers, scientists, operating department practitioners from Birmingham City University and medical students from the University of Birmingham.
Geoff Glover, Assistant Director and Head of Health and Social Care at The Higher Education Academy, said: “I found the event extremely stimulating, extremely useful and an excellent example of teams working together. To see so many professional groups working on the simulation exercise clearly demonstrated the power of simulation within health care education and I really hope the organisers repeat the scenario next year. Congratulations to all students and staff involved!”
Third year BSc Diagnostic Radiography student, Holly Pickford said that she found this form of training extremely useful.
She said: The event was a great success and was very realistic from everyone’s point of view. It was a fantastic opportunity working with different groups, especially those you don’t always get to work with and it was great for them to see what we do.”
The event was the first of its kind for the Faculty but is expected to provide a training model for the rest of the health education sector.
“Birmingham City University is never afraid to innovate and we are excited that this project will help set the standard for the rest of the sector,” added Professor .