Professor Michael Kidd, Executive Dean of Flinders University’s Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences has attended a Flinders Rural Health South Australia dinner to unveil plans for a new SIM Centre at the Riverland General Hospital.
Flinders Rural Health SA Simulation (SIM) Centre will have realistic mannequins that breathe, bleed and talk, providing opportunities to deliver state-of-the-art professional development for clinicians and students via clinical simulation.
The University and the Commonwealth are jointly funding the construction of the new training facility, which will also increase capacity to train junior doctors and registrars alongside GPEX and River Docs, in collaboration with CHSA LHN.
Flinders University Rural Health SA (previously known as Flinders University Rural Clinical School) increases capacity for rural medical, nursing and allied health education.
Its Parallel Rural Community Curriculum (PRCC) is an award winning medical education program that enables students to learn while immersed in rural communities via an innovative model called symbiotic clinical education (Prideaux et al 2007).
The approach is underpinned by mutually beneficial partnerships between health services, universities, students and clinicians, governments and communities.
“We are pleased to announce this new clinical simulation infrastructure will be ready to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the PRCC in 2017,” said Professor Jennene Greenhill, Associate Dean, Flinders Rural Health SA.
“The PRCC was established in 1997 in the Riverland South Australia as the first longitudinal integrated clerkship program in Australia. The program has graduated more than 330 doctors with many now working in rural communities.
“Clinical teachers in rural settings develop long term relationships with their students and help them to move out of their comfort zone to make the most of experiential learning opportunities.
“Flinders Rural Health SA Simulation Centre will be networked with other facilities in the Riverland, Greater Green Triangle, Hills Mallee Fleurieu the Barossa Valley and Flinders Medical Centre.
“Flinders Rural Health SA Simulation Centre will transform the Riverland General hospital into a teaching hospital to attract and retain a highly skilled rural health workforce.”