By Karen Villarreal

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 16, 2023 – As screaming bodies lay strewn across the PharrONE amphitheater, UTRGV School of Nursing students responded alongside city EMS personnel and vehicles – police, fire, medical helicopter and ambulances.

Not to worry, though. The emergency was a simulation, held Thursday, Aug. 10, with no real casualties. The training exercise was a collaboration of UTRGV School of Nursing students and Pharr and Weslaco first responders.

Dr. Lilia Fuentes, dean of the UTRGV School of Nursing, said the goal of its first emergency preparation simulation was to prepare students to respond to emergency situations that might have mass casualties – like a natural disaster, terrorist attack, vehicular collision, or pandemic.

“Nursing is not just about being at the hospital,” Fuentes said. “It's also going out into the field, if called, and being prepared to save lives in a time-sensitive environment in collaboration with other emergency personnel.”

The goal of the School of Nursing's first emergency preparation simulation was to prepare students to respond to emergency situations that might have mass casualties – like a natural disaster, terrorist attack, vehicular collision, or pandemic. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike.)

EMERGENCY COORDINATION

Before the simulated emergency event, Pharr and Weslaco EMS teams offered presentations for the students on emergency preparedness and how to respond to a mass casualty.

From 8–11 a.m., they covered basic emergency skills, resources available in the community, and the incident command system that guides how fire departments and EMT coordinate emergency responses. 

Dr. Roda S. Galang, clinical assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Nursing, said the simulated event gave students – who are one semester away from graduation – a hands-on opportunity to apply lessons from their NURS 4401 class, which covers emergency nursing.

“Effective communication, coordination and teamwork are essential skills in emergency response situations,” Galang said.

“We're very excited that the city gave the students this opportunity to work with their EMS,” said Dr. Andrea Rivera, program coordinator for the UTRGV Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). “We hope to have more trainings with them in the future.”

A REALISTIC EXPERIENCE

The mass casualty was simulated from 2-4 p.m., with 30 students in their first semester of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program acting out their roles as victims, complete with stage makeup and assigned injuries. Some of the assigned injuries were fatal so students could practice working with deceased patients. They were triaged into three response categories by students in their third semester.

Alongside the city fire departments and EMS teams, the 25 third-semester students also simulated providing immediate treatment in ambulances and a FEMA bus. One student-patient was loaded into a medical helicopter to demonstrate the transfer process for critical patients.

Candy Guajardo, a third semester UTRGV nursing student from Laredo, said that even though it was a fake tragedy and totally safe, she still was nervous. After participating in the triage process, she was stationed on the FEMA bus – learning where supplies are kept for patients who require blood transfusions and oxygen.

“It would be great if we never had these emergencies in real life, but I’d rather be prepared,” said Guajardo, who hopes to work as an ER nurse after graduation. “I want to be able to help.”

The simulation event covered basic emergency skills, resources available in the community, and the incident command system that guides how fire departments and EMT coordinate emergency responses. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike.)