While completing her nursing degree years ago, Dr. Barbara Lassiter was exposed to many health situations in the hospital that enhanced her skills and prepared her for similar encounters with other patients. Such opportunities were a matter of chance, however, and It wasn’t possible in those days to cover a wide scope of health care situations.
Recently, when Dr. Lassiter toured Greenville Technical College’s Simulation Technologies and Training (STAT) Center, she was struck by the impact the center is having on preparing nurses and other health care professionals. That visit and her connection to the college as a former vice president for development led her to pledge $100,000 to fund equipment and technologies at the center, creating the Dr. Barbara P. Lassiter STAT Center Lab.
“This is an opportunity for students to practice, learn in a safe environment, and practice again until they get it right,” Lassiter said. “In health care, you need the mind and the touch. This center ensures that the touch is practiced on simulators that mimic real-life situations so that graduates can confidently deal with critical patients and uncommon symptoms when they encounter these situations in real life.”
The STAT Center, established in 2009, is home to ten simulators ranging in age from newborn through adult. There are also high-tech CPR mannequins that give objective feedback as to the efficacy of skills performed by the learner. The center is used by students in the Respiratory Therapy, Radiology, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Nursing, Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting, and EMT/Paramedic programs with activities that are observed and assessed by instructors with the goal of risk-free improvement.
“We are grateful to Dr. Barbara Lassiter for giving so generously of her resources so that students can continue to prepare for real-life in a simulated environment,” said Ann Wright, vice president for advancement with the Greenville Tech Foundation. “As a former health care professional and leader at the college, she knows how important the hands-on component to education can be, and she is ensuring that we can create well-prepared graduates for many years to come.”