Older Adult with Infection

This actor/high-fidelity mannequin simulation is a created as a two-part scenario of a deteriorating older adult patient.

Part 1: Older adult patient, wheelchair bound with a T10 Spinal Cord Injury. Self-catheterizes at home. Came in with slight confusion, lethargy. Patient is deteriorating, showing signs of infection. There is a change in vital signs, febrile, with a decrease in blood pressure and increase in heart rate. Students should identify the potential cues that might lead up to infection (urinary catheters, etc). Call for help, and understand rationale behind treatment intervention

Part 2: Patient continues to deteriorate and students are to identify cues that might indicate septic shock. Patient experiences a cardiac arrest, and students are to call for help and begin CPR. The scenario is an interprofessional one, involving a physician (actor)

Learning outcomes

Students should be able:

• Perform a comprehensive assessment and interpret findings.
• Identify signs and symptoms of abnormal findings, indicative of deterioration in client’s condition.
• Identify what is of immediate concern and link findings to client’s condition.
• Prioritize interventions and assessment outcomes.
• Know when to call for help.
• Initiate and perform resuscitation measures such as fluid resuscitation and chest compression effectively and identify signs that the client is improving, declining or unchanged.

Supporting Documents

• Student / Learner Copy Part 1
• Student / Learner Copy Part 2

For more information on this actor simulation, please contact:

Merveille Ndondo, RN, Professional Practice and Simulation Coordinator

Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Toronto Metropolitan University

Email: mndondo@torontomu.ca

Funding for this project was provided by the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing-FDC Simulation Grant