For information and resources regarding returning to campus and COVID-19 please visit the university COVID-19 website
Simulation in health professions education is used to create realistic representation of situations and processes in a wide range of health care practice environments, using a variety of activities and technology ranging from low-technology role-playing to high-fidelity human patient simulators. Through simulation scenarios, real-life clinical situations can be replicated, affording students a heightened and safe learning environment without placing actual patients or the students at risk.
The Goldstein Laboratory Suite houses transformable state of the art labs and debriefing rooms. Each lab can be set up as a variety of practice environments including, hospital rooms, operating rooms, exam rooms, office spaces, conference rooms, home care settings or even a dorm room. Each lab contains video and audio capture technology used to record student experiences as they interact with the latest high-fidelity human patient simulators, patient actors, faculty and other students. Students’ recorded simulation experiences are played back and analyzed during structured debriefing sessions. Debriefing is a vital component of simulation and a critical piece that drives heightened student learning. It allows for reflection and exploration of the thoughts and emotions behind a learner’s actions. We strive to help all Bouvé students develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that promote patient safety and improve the quality of health care at all levels of professional achievement.
VISION
The Arnold S. Goldstein Simulation Laboratories Suite is a premier, experiential learning environment that unifies interprofessional learning and scholarship to enable a continuum of students and health professionals the opportunity to apply and translate knowledge and skills to real world experiences.
MISSION
The Arnold S. Goldstein Simulation Laboratories Suite engages students and faculty in innovative ways to study and practice clinical reasoning skills, interprofessional education, and health system integration to promote the development of fully functioning interdisciplinary healthcare teams. The Simulation Labs enables participants to research contemporary issues that solve the problems of patients and prepare Bouvé graduates to create the healthy communities of the future. We strive to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that promote patient safety and improve the quality of health care at all levels of professional achievement.
The Goldstein Simulation labs are governed by an interprofessional Simulation Leadership Council (SLC). The SLC provides strategic vision for the college’s interprofessional simulation program including curricular design, research initiatives, faculty development and education programs. Each year the SLC awards $20,000 in faculty development grants supporting new and experienced faculty who want to further develop their expertise in health care simulation.
The SLC is co-chaired by an elected faculty member and the Director of Interprofessional Simulation. Members of the council represent each academic unit within the college and are appointed to the council by their Dean or Chair and approved by the sitting council members. The SLC has representatives from 8 disciplines including, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, counseling and applied psychology, exercise physiology, health science, physician assistant and speech and communication disorders.
Michael Butera, DNP, MS, CRNA, BSN
School of Nursing
Clinical Instructor
Carol Femia, DNP, RN, RNC
School of Nursing
Assistant Clinical Professor
Kristen Mathieu Gonzalez, DNP, MSN/Ed, RN
School of Nursing
Assistant Clinical Professor
Sheri R. Kiami, PT, DPT, MS
Department of Physical Therapy
Associate Clinical Professor
Jennifer L. Kirwin
School of Pharmacy
Clinical Professor, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Thomas M. Matta
School of Pharmacy
Assistant Clinical Professor
Mary L. Mayville, DNP, RN, CNE
School of Nursing
Assistant Clinical Professor
Shan Mohammed, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Department of Health Sciences
Clinical Professor
Jamie Musler, LPD, ATC
Dean’s Office
Director, Intrprofessional Simulation & The Arnold S. Goldstein Simulation Labs
Therese M. O’Neil-Pirozzi, ScD, CCC-SLP
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Associate Professor
Dipu Patel-Junankar
Physician Assistant Program
Associate Program Director, Assistant Clinical Professor
William C. Sanna
Bouve College of Health Sciences, Dean’s Office
Simulation Education Technologist
Our labs are designed to be transformed into almost any environment that a scenario calls for. Operating Rooms, Emergency Departments, Apartments, Intensive Care Units, Offices, and Exam Rooms are just a few examples of the forms our labs routinely take. Wired for high resolution video and audio recording, our A/V system allows us to capture a simulation as it happens. The video is then to use during the debriefing session as an element of reflective learning.
From here, educators direct and can observe simulations in any of our four labs. Control computers allow for the manipulation of the simulators. Faculty can interact with their students as a patient by speaking through the mannequin.
Should an educator want a group of students to view a simulation as it happens, they can either live stream it in one of our debriefing rooms or they can have their students watch and listen from the viewing area. The one-way glass and overhead speakers allow observers to watch without disturbing the students in the learning environment.
Debriefing is as important as the simulation itself. In the debriefing rooms students reflect on their experience in the simulation with guidance from trained debriefers. Large TV monitors allow for video play back of the students simulation for reflection. The debriefing rooms have a retractable wall between them, allowing us to accommodate large groups of students.
At the Goldstein Labs, we use an array of high fidelity human patient simulators to create an environment for our students that is as realistic as possible. Each patient simulator has a wide range of abilities, including light-sensitive eyes that blink, palpable pulses, seizures, and more.
Perhaps our most versatile simulator, SimMan 3G is a fully wireless, multidisciplinary adult patient simulator. SimMan’s wireless features and onboard power supply allow for use in a variety of settings beyond a healthcare environment. At the Goldstein labs we have used these features to simulate the entire chain of care, with first responders treating a patient in a home or office, then transporting the patient to a simulated Emergency Room where the patient is then transferred to a hospital care team.
Sim Man’s technology allows us to replicate almost any sign and symptom to create a highly realistic patient presentation. From the control room, faculty utilize a specialized software interface that allows the simulator to talk, cry, sweat, bleed, convulse, breathe, go into cardiac arrest, have asthma as well as just about any other sign and symptom.
Our obstetric simulator can be used to create patient care experiences in prenatal care, postnatal care, and everything in between
From a routine birth, to a delivery mired by complications, hemorrhage, preeclamptic and eclamptic seizures, caesarian sections, breach delivery, and prolapsed uterus are only a few examples of the challenges that the SimMom can present to the care team.
Our range of pediatric simulators allows us to simulate health care crises for a newborn (SimNewB), a 10 month old (SimBaby), and a 6-12 year old child (SimJunior). Our family of pediatric simulators allow us to present students with a wide variety of patient situations including a healthy talking child to an unresponsive critical patient with no vital signs.
Students can gain exposure and clinical experience in a wide variety of pediatric conditions. Students can practice everything from a routine interview and exam, to an urgent care visit, to emergencies such as cardiac arrest, anaphylactic shock, and various forms of trauma. The versatility of these simulators allow us to put our students in scenarios that are as close to reality as possible, leaving them better prepared for actual clinical practice.
Standardized Patients (SPs) are individuals who are trained to portray a variety of scenarios critical to the development of our students.
Standardized Patients (SPs) were first used in medical education in 1964 by Howard S. Barrows MD. Dr. Barrows was a neurologist at the University of Southern California who introduced the concept of a person trained to portray a patient with specific sign and symptoms for the purposes of educating physicians. The standardized patient training was extremely detailed including the traditional history of a patient as well as the finer details of body language, emotions, personality, and physical findings. These trained patients, became known as standardized patients. Dr. Barrows coached individuals to simulate an actual patient so accurately that the standardized patients could not be detected by experienced clinicians.
Our SP program began in 2013 and currently includes traditional Standardized Patient as well as patient actors. SPs are trained to portray a patient, in a highly consistent and standardized manner assuring each student experiences the same patient interaction. Patient Actors have a similar role portraying patients when there is less of a need for standardization. Patient Actors are also used to portray other critical roles in our simulations including family members, other health care providers, bystanders and other people a healthcare provider may encounter. SPs and patient actors are important components of scenarios that develop critical thinking, professional behaviors, crisis resource management, and communication skills.
Do you need experience to become a SP?
Our SPs are from all walks of life and have a variety of work and personal experiences . SPs typically have excellent communication skills, can remember detailed patient information, have good recall of things they see and hear, and have an interest in educating. It is also helpful to be flexible and available to work any day of the week.
What responsibilities would I have as a SP?
As an SP you will be required to read and memorize case information. You will be expected to be on time and prepared for all assigned scenarios. In some cases, you may be asked to dress and look a certain way to portray the patient or character accurately. You may also be asked to provide feedback and/or asses learner performance. We expect that you will be reliable, take the program seriously, and maintain confidentiality at all times.
How do I apply to be a SP?
SPs are hired as part time employees of the University and are paid hourly for their work. You will be required to complete a hiring application and provide relevant tax and other information including (W-4, M-4, I-9, & Direct Deposit form). In some cases you may be asked to agree to a CORI check.
For more information about becoming a Standardized Patient, please contact Dr. Jamie Musler, Director, Arnold S. Goldstein Simulation Labs at j.musler@northeastern.edu.
Patient safety and improved patient outcomes is at the heart of the labs mission. While our primary focus is on interprofessional patient centered care we also believe our expertise and technology can be used in variety of unique ways to improve patient care.
Our ability to create real world environments as part of our unique educational model focused on experiential education can have tremendous benefits for entrepreneurs and established companies who are interested in evaluating their products in real world environments. Our ability to create a variety of highly realistic environments combined with real human or hi fidelity patient simulator interactions can be an invaluable tool for product assessment development.
The Goldstein Labs can create a variety of environments including patient exam rooms, hospital rooms, operating rooms, intensive care unit, birthing/pediatric rooms, emergency department, outpatient care/physical therapy facilities, home care settings including apartments, living rooms, bedrooms and dorm rooms.
By putting end users in a realistic environment and creating a scenario that replicated real world stressors we are able to offer true usability testing that can help identify potential design problems, functionality errors, and human interface problems. The result is a streamlined product development process that can reduce the risk to patient and other end users.
The Goldstein labs can offer three view video and audio capture of your product during testing.
Finding a realistic and completely flexible hospital environment can be a challenge. The Goldstein labs is an ideal location for a variety of video production needs. Think of our simulation labs as your personal production set offering a variety of settings including patient exam rooms, hospital rooms, operating rooms, intensive care unit, birthing/pediatric rooms, emergency department, outpatient care/physical therapy facilities, home care settings including apartments, living rooms, bedrooms and dorm rooms. All without the challenges of shooting in a real hospital around real patients and working health care providers.
Each one of the Goldstein labs can be utilized individually or together providing flexibility in size and space. Adjacent rooms are ideal for production coordination, makeup, food, and talent waiting areas.
