First-year medical residents at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington experienced their first simulation training Wednesday. The residents went through two simulations: intubation and practicing placing a central line.
The residency program is new, starting in July 2023. First-year medical resident of OSF St. Joseph Kynan Brown said he is excited to be part of it.
“There's something inspiring about being part of something that's brand new, and that's going to keep growing. The way we show up every day is going to impact the future of the program. So that's something I really appreciate about it,” said Brown.
Most of the medical residents have probably done simulations similar to the ones they performed Wednesday while in medical school, Brown said. This was their first time doing a simulation while in residency.
The simulations
The simulations were provided by Jump Simulation in Peoria.
“The two procedures we did today have risks associated with them,” said Medical Director at Jump Simulation Lisa Barker. “Simulation allows residents, and even practicing clinicians, to practice their skills and maintain their skills in a perfectly safe environment to ensure the best patient care.”
Barker said Jump Simulation focuses on clinical education. “Our vision is to improve in clinical care. So to have improved healthcare outcomes, which everyone I think could get behind," Barker said.
Dr. Rick Anderson, program director for the Family Medicine Residency Program at OSF St. Joseph, said performing intubation and central line insertion can be risky on real patients.
“I think the simulators that they have right now are so realistic that for residents to be able to practice on those mannequins, and be able to do those procedures, that makes them much more comfortable when they actually have to do one on a real patient. It’s much safer for the patient,” said Dr. Anderson.
The first simulation — intubation — involves putting a breathing tube down a patient’s trachea so they can breathe. The tube is connected to a ventilator. The other simulation performed Wednesday — inserting a central line — is when a catheter is put in a large blood vessel, typically the patient’s neck.
Dr. Anderson said it varies on how quickly medical residents master the procedure, and typically takes three to five tries before feeling comfortable.
“There's not a lot of pressure on a simulator because you really can't hurt the simulator," he said.
Family medicine
The residents who performed the simulations this week are being trained in family medicine. They do not perform major surgeries, “but they basically do the full gamut of primary care, especially in an area where specialists aren't available” Dr. Anderson said.
Resident Brown said he got into family medicine while reading about global health and learning about social determinants of health.
“I think family medicine and primary care is where there's some of the greatest need in medicine,” said Brown. “It feels like a place where I can make a big impact. And I like getting to know people and having those relationships.”
Brown is already building those patient relationships through Chestnut Family Health Center on Bloomington's west side. Every week he sees new patients, and has returning ones.
Brown said through Chestnut he has been meeting the needs of a lot of the population in the area who might not have very good access to primary care otherwise.
“We have homeless folks there, or recent immigrants who are still getting settled here, people whose insurance situation is complicated, people who haven't gone to a doctor in many years. You get a bit of everything," Brown said.
