CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Future healthcare workers at Kirkwood Community College are stepping into the fast-paced world of emergency medicine — without ever leaving campus.
Students from the school’s nursing, paramedic, and respiratory therapy programs are taking part in a large-scale healthcare simulation this week at the Katz Family Healthcare Simulation Center. The exercise is designed to give them realistic, hands-on training in responding to medical crises.
“It’s all about collaboration,” said simulation coordinator Tiffany Regenwether. “We want the same outcome for our patient and we want multiple disciplines to work together in a simulated environment.”
The high-tech mannequins used in the simulation can talk, breathe, and even “bleed” — allowing students to check pulses, start IVs, and make real-time decisions that mirror what they’ll face on the job.
Paramedic student Page Baughman says it’s a rare chance to see how emergency responders and hospital teams connect.
“We’re not just in the back of an ambulance — you’ll see us in the ER, in OR, in specialty clinics, even flying in the air,” she said. “It’s a big moment for EMS to understand what paramedics can do.”
Inside the mock emergency room, nursing students like Marlen Lizama practice their own step-by-step response plans, from monitoring vitals to intubation.
“They’re trying to show us how it’s going to be in a hospital, how you’re going to have to communicate with paramedics and nurses. So it’s kind of cool how we do that now,” Lizama said.
Instructors say that sense of teamwork is key to building confidence before students enter the workforce.
“Keeping our students engaged is so important to getting them into the real field and wanting to do good for people,” Regenwether added.
The two-day simulation runs November 12–13 at Kirkwood’s 12,000-square-foot training center.
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