Technology on the Rise at Miami Dade College – Medical Campus

Many experts believe there is a tremendous gap between medical skills required in the 21st century healthcare workforce, and the skills and skill-level of students taught in higher educational settings. Industry leaders and hiring managers are urgently seeking candidates with refined skills and a higher understanding of their role in the healthcare industry.

Terry Howerton, Chairman of the Illinois Technology Association, as cited in recent MSNBC report on education, stated:

 

More than ever before, technology in the healthcare environment is being used to deliver higher education in manners we did not expect 5 years ago. At Miami Dade College’s Medical Campus (MDC Medical), technology is now used to assist in the delivery of education, student support, tutoring, test reviews, research, general information gathering and for the development of skills for students enrolled in health care programs at the College. According to Pacenti, “… the use of technology will be tailored to distribute information in every format and is transforming the way students are educated” (2011, 1L). With technology on the rise, the next generations of learners are certain to have a higher success rate of becoming successful health care providers in the healthcare industry.

 

MDC Medical has implemented several new technologies which help to enhance and offer students real life simulation of the skills that will be necessary to be successful in obtaining their degrees and achieving their health career goals. MDC Medical has implemented various technologies such as the use of a human patient simulation lab, on-line and blended courses, and the use of health sciences and nursing skills labs that offers students an improved preparation for clinical experiences at community hospitals and healthcare facilities. The MDC nursing lab, for example, will provide simulation of a maternity patient/manikin that delivers a baby. The Learning for Service and Simulation department utilizes hi-fidelity human patient simulator for students to practice hands-on medical scenarios. However, these attributes alone are not enough to guarantee a student’s success. Streamlined devices in technology have been introduced to further stimulate the way students think in health care.

 

The use of lecture-capture software, Panopto, and associated hardware (cameras and special microphones) has been permanently installed in many of the classrooms. Students can refer back to their lectures at any time, day or night, to best fit their learning needs. Other technologies now integrated into many aspects of learning include an iTunes repository of specialized instructional videos that students can access from almost anywhere, and iTouch devices that are distributed to nursing students for increased accessibility to instructional materials. In regards to the implementation of a global electronic health record, MDC Medical has added “Cerner” to the educational curriculum, an electronic health record system; Azzly, and Softdent, are additional programs support for the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, respectively. The addition of software and technologies will positively impact student outcomes and will certainly increase their employability in their chosen field.

 

What is next for MDC as it relates to technology in the healthcare field? To create a fully operating nursing simulation lab based upon a hospital setting from where nursing students may be able to one day complete a major component of their clinical rotation. Although it appears that achieving this mission is impossible, with technology moving so fast, the future is upon all of us now.