The use of an anesthesia simulator in graduate and undergraduate education.

The use of simulation for educational training is common in many industries but is a new advancement in student instruction in anesthesia, medicine, or allied health. The Human Patient Simulator (HPS) allows students and clinicians to learn and practice a variety of technical skills as well as manage basic and complex clinical situations in a modifiable and reproducible environment. The HPS has been extensively integrated in many graduate and undergraduate Nursing and Allied Health courses at the Medical College of Georgia. Use of the HPS stems from the theory of situated cognition, which states that students best learn "what to do" and "how to do" in a real world environment. The HPS provides a real world environment for student learning in various fields. The theory of situated cognition is discussed in conjunction with the implementation of the HPS into various classes.