West Georgia Technical College’s (WGTC) School of Nursing hosted a simulated mass casualty event and trauma lab this week at Murphy Campus.
This event has been held every semester since June 2021 and is designed to prepare students for worst-case scenarios by providing hands-on skills training throughout an entire day. From the first moments on the scene to assisting victims and wound care, students work together to learn how to provide care in the event of an on-campus emergency.
“My plan for creating the mass casualty/trauma lab event was to get the students in an immersive learning environment to motivate them and create physical, mental, and emotional learning bonds for a truly unique and exciting experience,” said WGTC nursing instructor Melinda Sharpe.
What began as a learning initiative within the nursing program has now grown tremendously. This semester approximately 120 students from various programs took part in the event. Students enrolled in the emergency medical services program played a crucial role in treating patients on-site and facilitating their transportation to the ‘hospital,’ while those in surgical technology handled a simulated gunshot wound case in the operating room. Even students from the esthetics program got involved, using moulage makeup to give the mass casualty victims lifelike injuries.
“The growth of this event has been nothing short of amazing,” said Sharpe. “It is so neat to see so many classes and departments leaning into the immersive process and using it to gain insight and experience for students across the spectrum.”
