This content was published: April 26, 2013. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Updated equipment provides new opportunities for PCC medical programs
Photos and story by Deborah Crawford
Antiquated equipment is a constant battle for the medical fields, and PCC programs are no exception. Sylvania’s Radiography and Nursing programs have recently acquired state-of-the-art equipment. The equipment has made a significant impact on the student’s ability to practice and learn on equipment that they will be using in their careers.
Janis Rink demonstrates how a nursing student interacts with the mannequins during a simulation.
A recent purchase for a new digital radiography instrument made by Phillips would have cost the school $225,000, but Phillips offered PCC a 33 percent reduction in price. The company was trying to find a location in the Portland area to showcase their new equipment, and PCC jumped at the opportunity. This specific piece of equipment is the sixth one made in the United States and provides our students with experience on the type of machine hospitals will be using when they get out of school.
In addition to the Radiography, the Nursing Program has also received significant upgrades to its Simulation Lab. Old equipment included one camera, limited audio and an inability to record simulations to review later. The new equipment, which was funded with bond and margin monies, allows multiple HD Pan/Tilt/Zoom cameras and multiple surface mounted microphones to capture student’s interactions with the mannequins during their simulations, hear exactly what the students are saying and record that information to use in classes at a later time. The updated SIM Lab also has an improved observation room where students watch as other students work on a situation as its happening and then debrief together about what went well and what could be improved.