Making the Rounds

crowded and filled with noise and chaos, overwhelming and challenging the medical staff to communicate effectively. At the 12-minute mark, participants were debriefed by a Trauma Nurse Educator, an Emergency Department Physician, and a Trauma Surgeon. The primary goal of this MCI was to simulate multiple high-volume, high acuity scenarios, and identify which resources, personnel, processes, and procedures would be

necessary during a mass shooting. After being debriefed, the scenario was repeated. Things went much smoother the second time; even to the untrained eye. There was less noise, less chaos, and patients were grouped according to severity, allowing concentration on those who required focused attention. Through the use of simulation, utilizing a combination of high fidelity plastic manikins and volunteers acting as standardized patients, Kern Medical teams improved and demonstrated

As the only level 2 trauma center as far north as Visalia and as far south as Los Angeles, Kern Medical would be the first local hospital in Kern County to receive wounded individuals following a mass casualty incident. To prepare for incidents like these, four teams of doctors and nurses recently came together in the Simulation Center to provide clinical staff with a simulated experience. On May 17th, Kern Medical staff were given a hypothetical mass shooting scenario, where one of the rooms was converted to a replica of a real trauma bay. As the learners oriented themselves to the role, location and situation, the screams began! Over 10 volunteers, all trained as standardized patients (actors pretending to have sustained injuries) began to enter the simulation. The first cases were relatively mild: a graze, or a fall with a hurt ankle. Then the simulated ambulances began to arrive, with medical students pretending to be overwhelmed paramedics, rushing to deliver their patient, only to leave and come back with another. The room quickly became

capability with the MCI. While we hope that a situation like this never happens in Kern County, simulations like these better prepare our staff by engaging them and providing them with training in a controlled environment, allowing us to improve our response plan.

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