SIM Lab Tips (RN)

00:01 The simulation labs.

00:03 I can't really explain to you why they scared me so much.

00:05 And if they scare you too, just know that you aren't alone.

00:09 I can't pinpoint it, but it's weird.

00:10 But I do want to encourage you that since this is not a situation that you can overly plan for, there is a lot more flexibility when it comes to grading, especially compared to the clinical skills check-ups.

00:22 When it comes to SIM lab, usually you have a general idea of what the topic will be, so you can review information to prepare, but you don't know exactly how it will go, hence, grading is almost always less harsh.

00:37 And as long as you can kind of, like, really reach and stretch and show that you were genuinely trying to give your rationale afterwards and make it like a little bit of sense, people usually pass.

00:47 The goal here is to really, really learn.

00:50 And if you show you are trying to learn, the professors will usually give you that win, even if your explanation is a little bit off the mark.

00:59 In terms of studying for SIM lab, I would focus on general warning signs of really bad things happening.

01:05 Most simulation labs are going to be training you to work on a team and to identify when things start to go poorly.

01:12 They're trying to get you to see that trend.

01:14 So reviewing the primary diagnosis or even just the general symptoms of decline in the areas that you're currently studying will set you up to be able to identify the signs of bad things happening in the SIM lab room.

01:25 And you can notify the people who can help you in the SIM lab, right? Once again, this comes back to safety.

01:32 Can you spot an unsafe situation and do something about it before the patient falls apart? That is the base of most SIM labs.

01:42 And remember, you are not expected to excel for years into your nursing career.

01:49 Your teachers, they know that.

01:51 I know this SIM lab feels terrifying, but I promise you, this is a lower stakes thing than most things in school.

01:57 It just feels weird because people are watching you, and then you play it back, and then they talk about it and that's very awkward and weird, so it's uncomfortable.

02:05 Also, it just needs you to know that pretty much every person SIM patient, they don't survive. If your SIM dies, you're not alone there.

02:13 If you have ever helped a SIM person survive, please let us know in the comments, and we will all send you clapping emojis in this comment section because you deserve it.

02:21 I don't know how you did it.

02:22 Mine died quickly, and not always in a pretty way.

02:26 Go you. Now that we've covered how to succeed in SIM and Skills Lab, I want to take a minute to talk about how we can succeed in other things in life.

02:33 Like, if you have to have a job and balance all of that.

02:35 I'll see you there.