Bassett, Hartwick partner on simulation lab for residents, nursing students

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Bassett Healthcare Network and Hartwick College are launching joint simulation labs for first-year Bassett residents and nursing students.

It marks the first time Bassett residents are partnering with Hartwick nursing students in simulation labs.

A total of 23 first-year resident physicians from Bassett Medical Center graduate medical education programs will work with summer nursing students from Hartwick along with St. Elizabeth’s College of Nursing, SUNY Morrisville, and SUNY Delhi. The group will participate in hands-on training, observation, and debriefing as they rotate through three clinical simulations — transitions of care/safe effective handoff, emergent situations, and patient/family communication at the Clark Nursing Simulation Lab at Hartwick College.

“Teamwork is the essential foundation for the best patient care,” Bassett President/CEO Dr. Tommy Ibrahim said. “These collaborative simulation labs for a new generation of doctors and nurses build team thinking and hone their practice. We extend our thanks to the professionals who built this exceptional program and enthusiastically support the participation of the nursing students and our residents.”

The Bassett and Hartwick professionals who worked together to plan and implement the simulation lab include, from Hartwick, Dr. Patricia Grust, clinical associate professor and nursing department chair; Erica Holoquist, RN and nursing laboratory coordinator; John Janitz, RN and nursing lab instructional specialist; and from Bassett, Dr. Russell Moore, senior attending physician and internal medicine residency program director; Dr. Erik Riesenfeld, senior attending physician and transitional year residency program director; Dr. Joon Shim, senior attending physician and general surgery residency program director; Tareq Issa, RN and nurse educator, active learning center; Nancy Morris, RN and simulation lab clinical educator, active learning center; and Jill Stoecklin, administrative director of medical education and medical school.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Bassett in this interdisciplinary simulation event,” Grust said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to integrate the perspectives of medicine and nursing in a variety of realistic and challenging scenarios that support an optimal healthcare experience and outcomes for the individual, family, and members of the health-care team.”

Simulation is a valuable training tool for nurses and physicians, Stoecklin contended. “For simulations to be most effective, it is important for nurses and physicians to create a collaborative partnership,” she said. “By doing so, we all learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives to provide optimal patient care.”

The partnership also has a positive impact on the community by ensuring the continuation of the highest level of patient care, Bassett’s Chief Nurse Executive Angela Belmont stipulated.

The simulation lab comes on the heels of another recently announced joint endeavor that provides Bassett employees tuition discounts when they pursue degrees in nursing or nursing education at Hartwick. Both programs reflect a shared priority to increase the number of registered nurses and health-care professionals practicing in Bassett’s rural service area.

Bassett serves a 5,600-square-mile region of upstate New York with five hospitals, community-based and school-based health centers, and skilled-nursing facilities.