The Sim Van
 Simulation
– breathing life into rural healthcare education.
Medical education has certainly taken to the road. Although based
in the Riverland at Flinders University Rural Clinical School the
Clinical Simulation Centre is more easily mobile now that the Sim
Van is on the go.
Previously trips to the Barossa, Hills Mallee Fleurieu and Mount
Gambier for curriculum delivery to GEMP students involved packing
all the gear into a station wagon.
That includes:
- Sim man and compressor
- the control centre
- monitor and clinical diagnostic tools
- props and drugs
- portable crash cart with defib and monitor
- consumables
- additional skills trainers
- oxygen cylinders and resus equipment
- staff and their gear.
Quite a challenge! Not to mention the occupational health and safety
issues of all that packing and lifting of heavy equipment.
The hunt was on to improve the situation.
Lifting equipment was trialled which was fine at home base, but
since it was not portable the problem recurred at the destination.
Another option we explored was a used ambulance but there were
disadvantages in terms of storage space and sacrificing the ambulance
advantages.
Transport vans were the next option and after much research the
selected van was a white Volkswagen SWB Transporter. That was just
the start with customised fittings required to accommodate all the
stuff.
Then came the graphic design to distinctively mark the vehicle
as a mobile education van not just another delivery van out and
about.
The graphic design distinctively marks the vehicle as a mobile
education van: Simulation – breathing life into
rural healthcare education
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