ABOUT US

The Clinical Simulation and Skills Unit (CSSU) (Introduction video, 38MB) provides training for:

  • Undergraduate students in the pre-clinical and clinical years of the MBChB curriculum, as well as for
  • postgraduate interns and registrars. 

The unit is situated in the Francois Retief Building, UFS, Block A, Room 200. Housed in the School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, the unit was officially opened on 21 February 2013 by Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

CSSU

Prof Mathys Labuschagne and Prof Gert van Zyl at the official opening of the CSSU in 2013

Medical emergencies in pediatric anesthesia course.
Medical emergencies in pediatric anesthesia course.

Cardiothoracic surgeon training on the Califia cardiac simulator.
Cardiothoracic surgeon training on the Califia cardiac simulator.

High Fidelity simulation
High Fidelity simulation

CPR training
CPR training 

CLINICAL SKILLS
Clinical Skills Training

The CSSU is responsible for:

  • the teaching of clinical skills to the second- and third-year medical students and
  • the practice and mastery of these skills under supervision of medical doctors.
Clinical Skills Module

The Clinical Skills module is a practical module which integrates with the theoretical modules in the basic and pathological sciences.

The sessions for MBChB students in the pre-clinical years of study take place on a daily basis and every student attends a four-hour session per week. The course entails the early training and practice of basic clinical skills such as history taking and physical examination, and helps to develop professional attributes such as communication skills, professionalism and collaboration.

Some of the clinical skills trained in the unit include using aseptic techniques; taking blood samples; administering intramuscular injections; urinary catheterization; intravenous infusions, and suturing.

Module-directed practical sessions familiarize students with the examinations and procedures relevant to specific systems such as the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular or respiratory system.

CLINICAL SIMULATION
Clinical Simulation Training

The various simulations and simulators include:

  • computer-based manikins (human patient simulators);
  • part-task trainers;
  • flat screen and virtual simulations;
  • standardised patients; and
  • procedural skills simulations.
Aim and goal of the CSSU

The aim of the CSSU is to provide a facility where health sciences students and professionals are exposed to:

  • Training in a safe environment;
  • Training without harm to the patient;
  • Scenario-based learning; and
  • Debriefing.

These aims may lead to the development of leadership, communication, decision-making, situation awareness and inter-professional skills development.

The goal of the CSSU is to expose undergraduate and postgraduate medical and allied health professions students to inter-professional skills training. The secondary goal is to provide a facility for after-qualification refresher and training courses for various disciplines such as Cardiology; Intensive Care, Trauma and Emergency Care, and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Medtronic and University of the Free State Cardiac Simulation Unit
 

An exciting recent addition to the unit is the Medtronic and University of the Free State Cardiac Simulation Unit. The new laboratory will enhance training for cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, vascular surgery, anaesthesiology and multi-professional teams of doctors, nurses, perfusionists and other allied health professionals.

The Cardiac Simulation Unit will not only benefit the training of specialists in various fields of specialization but will also improve patient safety, reduce complication rates and mortality rates. The generous provision of equipment by Medtronic patients enabled the establishment of this unit.

Laparoscopic surgical skills training


A virtual reality laparoscopic surgical simulator assists with the training and improvement of laparoscopic surgical skills of postgraduate students of surgical disciplines. A simulator does not replace training on real patients, but helps to train registrars on basic laparoscopic surgical skills (depth perception, hand-eye coordination, instrument handling, precision and speed) before operating on patients. Basic laparoscopic surgical skills are trained on the simulator before proceeding to the operating room – easing the steep learning curve to mastery of these essential skills.    

STAFF AND CONTACTS

The Clinical Simulation and Skills Unit has well-trained technical and educational staff who assist with the planning, development, setup, running of scenarios and facilitation of debriefing.

The unit is designed to handle various assessment options such as long and short cases on simulated patients and human patient simulators, and part-task trainers as well as OSCE assessments.

Contact:


Intercostal drain insertion training to undergraduate students
  Intercostal drain insertion training to undergraduate students

Obstetrics training in simulated maternity ward
Obstetrics training in simulated maternity ward

High Fidelity simulation
  High Fidelity simulation


FACULTY CONTACT

Central Information Office
T: +27 51 401 3739
F: +27 86 579 5154

E: StudentAdminFHS@ufs.ac.za

Student Administration
Faculty Administration

Health sciences block next to contact

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