Lakeland University’s training immerses surgical technology students in a 3-D operating room

Key Takeaways:

• New students are nowadays being accepted into the program.

Lakeland Community College’s surgical technology program recently acquired new software designed to give students a taste of what it’s like to work in an operating room. PeriopSim and PeriopSimVR, according to the program, use lifelike imagery and gaming technology to immerse students in a 3-D world.

Students use the simulation apps by donning a virtual reality headset and grasping right and left controllers linked to a laptop loaded with the software.

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Once “inside” the virtual operating room, students can observe any number of surgeries before selecting the appropriate instrument and placing it in the surgeon’s hand.

Officials confirmed that scores are kept to measure progress and success, allowing students to compete with themselves and with one another to do their best.

“This assists our students in developing the skill of anticipating what instrument the surgeon will require,” said Janice Lawrenz, Lakeland’s program director for surgical technology. “This practice gives them the confidence to become an important member of the surgical team.”

Other competencies assessed include procedure steps and instrument recognition, according to Lawrenz. Spending 10 minutes in the PeriopSim program corresponds to approximately two hours in an actual operating room and prepares students for real surgical cases during clinical rotations.

This teaching tool augments the program’s physical classroom and perioperative laboratory, including industry-grade operating room equipment, surgical instruments, and a scrub room.

On 7 April, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., community members are invited to demonstrate the PeriopSim software at the college’s Health Programs Open House.

Conquer Experience developed PeriopSim and PeriopSimVR in collaboration with surgeons, nurses, educators, and neuroscientists to ensure accuracy and realistic learning outcomes. The company is headquartered at the Health Tech Innovation Hub at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

According to officials, Lakeland’s surgical technology graduates had a 100 percent pass rate on the National Board of Surgical Technology or Surgical Assisting national credentialing exam and 100 percent job placement in 2021. The program is currently accepting new students.

Source: news-herald