Checklist: Top Supplies Every Nursing Educator Should Include in a Simulation Lab

This article outlines the top essential supplies every nursing educator should include in a simulation lab to provide students with realistic, hands-on training for clinical success.

What you’ll learn:

• Why simulated medications are critical for safe practice

• The role of sterile gloves in infection prevention

• How injection pads help master IM and subcutaneous techniques

• Essential tools included in IV start kits

• The importance of central line kits for advanced procedures

• How suture pads build confidence in wound closure

Nursing educators must create comprehensive simulation labs to adequately teach their students everything there is to know about nursing. It is not enough to teach nursing theories in a classroom setting and expect students to become proficient at nursing. Instead, educators must provide them with sufficient practical, hands-on experience in nursing within a simulation laboratory. That is the only way they will be prepared to handle a real-life nursing situation.

Setting up a simulation nursing laboratory requires finding the best supplies to support the educator’s lesson plans. Of course, their budget and amount of available space will also play a factor in the types and quantities of supplies to purchase for the laboratory. Overall, certain medical supplies must be included in a simulation nursing laboratory, regardless of the circumstances.

Below are the top supplies every nursing educator needs when building or upgrading a simulation laboratory.

1) Simulated Medications

One of the core responsibilities of nursing students is administering drugs to patients. One small mistake can cause a patient significant harm or even death. It could be a mistake in measuring the dosage or an error in administering the proper medication to a patient.

Simulated medications are essential to include in a simulation nursing laboratory. They provide nursing students with an opportunity to learn about various types of drugs and the most effective methods for administering them to patients safely and efficiently. The best part is that the simulated medications contain sterilized water or another harmless placebo solution. That way, it poses no risk to anyone if a student makes a mistake.

Simulated medications can be administered in various forms, including pill bottles, IV bags, vials, and prefilled syringes. Nursing students will practice working with each type of simulated medication in different clinical scenarios. They will also learn to read the medication package labeling and administer medicines in high-stress situations that require quick and accurate decision-making.

2) Sterile Gloves

Practically every nurse and medical professional wears sterile gloves when examining or treating patients directly, especially in hospital settings. Sterile gloves help prevent infections by protecting the hands when touching patients or handling tools that may come into contact with patients.

A nursing educator must encourage their students to develop the habit of wearing sterile gloves when handling tools and working with patients. Ensure that students understand the importance of wearing gloves and the potential consequences for themselves or their patients if they fail to do so.

Sterile gloves play a crucial role in maintaining a sterile clinical environment. Nursing students who develop the habit of wearing these gloves will become truly safe professionals upon graduation from school.

3) Injection pads

You would be amazed by how many nursing students graduate without much practice at administering intramuscular or subcutaneous injections. The last thing you would want a nurse to have is stress and anxiety over their lack of experience in real clinical settings. So, you need to supply them with injection pads to give them the chance to practice.

Injection pads are an effective tool for teaching injection techniques to nursing students. These pads are made of high-quality, self-healing silicone, making them the perfect training aids for students to practice administering injections. They can handle hundreds of injections without diminishing in quality.

Nursing students can practice intradermal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular injections on the injection pads. Have the students focus particularly on the angle and depth of the injected needles to ensure real-world success.

4) IV Start Kits

IV start kits prepare nursing students to administer intravenous care to help patients suffering emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes, blood loss, and nutrient deficiency. They are also used to deliver continuous medication to patients with chronic conditions like autoimmune diseases, cancer, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Unfortunately, many beginner nursing students struggle with IV insertion and maintenance because of the bleeding involved. If they ever want to become licensed professionals, they must practice inserting and monitoring IV lines correctly to prevent patient injury. IV start kits make it easy to practice working with IV lines since they contain the most common tools used to perform this task.

The average IV start kit includes the following:

• IV bag

• Primary IV line

• Secondary IV line

• Alcohol swab

• Gauze

• Simulated medication

• Surgical tape

• Distilled water glass vial

• Saline-filled syringe

Nursing lessons in IV administration require the use of all these tools, and possibly even more. Consider acquiring multiple types of IV kits or other essential IV-related tools to supply to your nursing students. That will make your IV lessons as realistic and effective as possible.

5) Central Line Kits

Some patients require medication to be administered directly into their larger veins rather than smaller vessels. Central line kits allow nursing students to practice inserting central venous catheters into large veins to deliver treatments, such as antibiotics, chemotherapy, and nutrients. It usually requires situations where long-term treatment is necessary to help patients recover or remain stabilized.

Here is what you may find in a central line kit:

• Central venous catheter

• Tray

• Vinyl gloves

• Swab sticks

• Dressing

• Gauze

• Plastic tape

• Syringes

• Needle

The proper use of a central venous catheter is crucial to prevent injury or complications that could lead to patient harm or death. The typical central line kit includes all the necessary tools for practicing the insertion and maintenance of central venous catheters, encompassing sterilization, maintenance, and dressing changes.

6) Suture Pads

Nurses will undoubtedly care for patients with emergency wounds, such as lacerations and surgical incisions. They must close these wounds with stitches quickly to prevent infection and further bleeding. So, they will use sutures to close the wounds and stabilize the patient.

Suture pads are great accessories for nursing students to practice applying sutures to patients. They are simulated wounded skin made of durable silicone material. Students can practice their suture insertion and removal techniques before applying them to actual patients.

Get Your Top Nursing Simulation Supplies Today!

Pristine Medical offers the top supplies that all nursing educators need for their simulation nursing laboratories. These supplies will ensure that your nursing students receive the most practical and realistic education possible before entering a real-world clinical setting.