Solving practical problems with health students

Although experience is needed, medical and nursing students find it difficult to practice on real patients in their first years of study, also due to lack of experience.

Practicing CPR and intubation on a clinical simulation model in training health students at the workshop - Photo: TRONG NHAN

This is one of the highlights of the workshop on finding solutions to improve training quality for medical and pharmaceutical students through clinical simulation, organized by Far East College on September 6.

Dr. Tran Thanh Hai - Principal of Far East College - said that in medical training, nursing or health sectors in general, a common reality is that first-year students are almost unable to contact and practice directly on real patients. The reason is because when knowledge and skills are limited, any wrong operation can be dangerous for patients.

Therefore, according to him, practice is a "problem" for many colleges that train in health-related fields. In some places, students only learn through theory or observation, leading to a situation of "learning by rote" and lacking practical experience.

Dr. Tran Thanh Hai said that schools are forced to find alternative solutions, but not all facilities are qualified. Currently, some solutions are to build skill practice rooms where students can practice on models of intravenous injection, blood pressure measurement, intubation or wound care. Some VR/AR technology is used in teaching, allowing students to handle simulated cases...

Doctor CKII Nguyen Huu Hung - former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health - said that as the number of students majoring in health increases, the challenge of internship locations increases.

Although Ho Chi Minh City has many large hospitals with a significant number of beds, it is difficult to accommodate thousands of students at the same time.

He sees the current trend of investing in clinical simulation models in training facilities as a trendy solution.

Students can now practice from basic operations to complex emergency situations on models, virtual patients or simulators.

However, according to him, investing in simulation models is only half the problem. The decisive factor lies in the teaching staff, requiring them to have enough knowledge of pathology and pedagogical skills to guide students to be able to do it, not just operate machines.

Along with that, he suggested that schools need to coordinate and share equipment to avoid waste, because each set of models is very expensive. If there is a mechanism to link, share, or even cooperate with foreign schools, training efficiency will be much higher.

Students practice on virtual reality applications at the workshop - Photo: TRONG NHAN

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Son - Principal of Thai Binh Medical College - said that each simulation method has its own "pros and cons".

For example, physical models are safe and easy to repeat but lack realism; standardized patient models are rich in humanity but are costly in terms of human resources and costs; high-fidelity models are close to reality but require huge investment.

As for solutions that combine real and virtual, the biggest challenge is maintaining scenario consistency, which requires smooth coordination between lecturers and students.

Therefore, he emphasized that simulation is not a "magic key", but needs to choose the right target and be suitable to the reality of each school.

Dr. Dong Nguyen Phuong Uyen - Head of Training, Nursing Department, Cho Ray Hospital - noted that most paraclinical training models have not yet fully equipped the necessary skills, especially communication and expression skills. Many students after graduation are still confused in explaining and discussing problems with patients and their families.

Therefore, according to her, in addition to providing technical equipment, schools also need to strengthen communication skills, presentation skills and clinical situation interpretation, so that students can confidently enter the hospital environment.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giai-bai-toan-thuc-hanh-voi-sinh-vien-nganh-suc-khoe-2025090616341092.htm