Allied Health and Nursing Laboratory Skills Practice and Evaluation Areas

Study Areas
Multimedia Areas

The purpose of the AHNL is to prepare students to give quality, safe and competent nursing care. There are several skills practice areas designed for "hands on" experience. The main room simulates a hospital complete with a nursing station/reception area, four bed ward, three private patient care rooms and a two patient unit. Students must demonstrate competence with nursing skills before being allowed to perform them on actual patients. The AHNL staff evaluate skill performance based on Required Behaviors/Critical Elements. Students are also expected to integrate the Basic Standards of SAFE Nursing Care in all skills evaluations.

The patient in the practice areas may be a mannequin, another student, or "Buddy". Santa Barbara City College was the first community college in the nation to have an Emergency Care Simulator (ECS). The simulator was purchased through an Economic and Workforce Development Grant. Buddy is a computerized patient care simulator who can be programmed to simulate a variety of health care problems and patient care situations. Buddy can be programmed to breath, have pulses, and a blood pressure, as well as heart, lung and bowel sounds. He can also talk. He is the most modern and up-to-date way to learn in a non-threatening and safe situation.

Another computerized simulator provides students with the experience of venipuncture. With this simulator, students get experience starting IV's on six different patients of various ages and physical conditions.

The AHNL also has an assortment of equipment such as feeding pumps and IV pumps for student practice and evaluation. The students appreciate that the AHNL has the same equipment and supplies as the local hospitals.