School of Medicine

Simulation has become an integral part of learning new procedures and staying adept at skills already learned. Ultrasound (US) guided peripheral IV (PIV) needle insertion is a skill necessary for EM, Anesthesia, and general practice nurses and physicians. Medical schools, teaching hospitals, and community hospitals universally use simulation amongst their practitioners. Ultrasound POC use is increasing in Emergency Department (ED) and other hospital areas. Most institutions have formalized training to teach residents and nurses proper techniques for POC US use. Training models can vary from commercially available ones costing thousands of dollars to home-made ones that have a short life-span and suboptimal viewing characteristics. 1 Patient safety has been a driving force in changing medical training. "To Err is Human", a landmark study published in 1999 estimated 3% of injuries to hospital patients are caused by medical errors, resulting in between 44,000-98,000 deaths per year. The traditional teaching mantra of "See one, Do one, Teach one" apprenticeship model has been replaced with proficiency-based teaching methods to improve physician training and patient safety.