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Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is providing University of North Georgia's (̨Íåswag) Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students the opportunity to experience patient treatment in a hospital environment. Second-year students in the three-year DPT program become "standardized patients" who portray actual clinical scenarios for first-year students to gain real-life experience.  

"I developed this course using upper level DPT students as standardized patients in a simulated experience in 2018," Dr. Rachael Walton-Mouw, associate professor of physical therapy, said. "Having the opportunity to have the simulation labs at NGMC Lumpkin in actual vacant patient rooms has helped elevate the experience for the students." 

The simulation labs are a structured experience for first-year DPT students to play the role of a treating student physical therapist. These first-year students knock on the door, introduce themselves and perform the whole process with the hospital bed, bathroom equipment and other elements in a hospital setting as they simulate caring for the standardized patients.  

"It's awesome because it makes it more real," Sydney Foster, a first-year student from Ball Ground, Georgia, said. "The first simulation was extremely nerve-wracking because some of us did not know the standardized patients as well. It was like you were walking in and being with an actual patient. Standardized patients have already had a clinical rotation, so they know how the patients and family members act." 

Having available space for the simulation labs was a crucial part.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin is fortunate to partner with the ̨Íåswag Doctorate of Physical Therapy program by providing space at our campus to allow students the opportunity to practice their skills in a real-world environment.

Kay Hall

NGHS director, emergency and inpatient medical departments

Meanwhile, the students learn from their mistakes. They can practice things they're going to be doing as a professional that could hurt people if performed incorrectly. This way students can do things in an environment where if they do mess up, it doesn't hurt anybody. When they encounter real patients with real issues, safety and confidence are improved, Walton-Mouw said. There is a built-in level of stress for the students as they are expected to perform in front of four of their fellow classmates.

"It isn't like an actual physical therapy session. It's more that they are doing actual hands-on technique and live teaching that makes the PT session more 'real.' The fact that there are more people watching makes for a more stressful scenario which increases the learning effect," Walton-Mouw said.

Foster said she appreciates the immediate feedback from the standardized patients.  

"They have been really great because they give feedback immediately," Foster said. “They're awesome at telling us when we do a good job and what we can work on next time. They keep a positive outlook about it and give us really solid feedback, which I really appreciate, and I'd like to carry that on to the first-years next year." 

Bobby Hines, '21, helped design and implement virtual simulation during the COVID-19 lockdown and currently works in outpatient orthopedic and performance physical therapy.  

"Our opportunity to engage in a 'high-stress, low-stakes' environment with our evaluation simulations was crucial," Hines said. "I think the scenarios were incredible development tools to prepare PT students for the real evaluation setting beyond just practicing with a classmate in downtime. Not only were we challenged to provide the best care for the 'patient,' but we had the extra stressors of having our colleagues watch as well for the purpose of learning from one another's mistakes and successes in real time."