Photo by Leah Whitt
BUIES CREEK — The Campbell University Physician Assistant program, in collaboration with other university departments and area volunteers, demonstrated a simulated mass casualty incident at the Health Science Campus on Saturday.
The exercise was a student-driven component of the Emergency Medicine course in the program’s curriculum. Additionally, the exercise was developed as an interprofessional event involving students from Campbell’s school of osteopathic medicine, as well as the departments of physical therapy, pharmacy and public health. Local and regional agencies provided extensive logistical and technical support and personnel.
The event began with a simulated bus crash with more than 25 victims needing emergency care. Student leaders who organized the event instructed their peers to assess the situation, triage patients and care for critically injured patients in accordance to the skills learned throughout the Emergency Medicine course. Throughout the event, volunteer patients were relocated to various zones based on their mock injuries to continue treatment. Some patients were taken by ambulance to the simulated emergency room setting inside the Leon Levine Hall of Medical Sciences for further care.
The goal of the exercise was to allow students to practice their emergency medicine skills in a realistic setting. Students were expected to work as team members with other emergency personnel to triage, transport, and treat simulated patients in a variety of emergency management settings. PA faculty and staff were on site as facilitators through the exercise.
This event was sponsored by Campbell University, in partnership with the Capital Regional Advisory Committee (CapRAC), WakeMed, Harnett County EMS and the Buies Creek Fire Department.
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Physician assistant students excel in simulated disaster incident