West Chester University/Bryn Mawr Hospital Respiratory Care Program

CHS Summer Newsletter As we wrap up another successful spring semester, I want to thank our students, faculty, staff, and alumni for their hard work, dedication, and many accomplishments throughout the year.

🚨 Trauma Code Simulation: Motor Vehicle Collision 🚨

Our students stepped into the role of critical care providers during a high-acuity trauma code simulation involving a patient injured in a motor vehicle collision.

As the patient’s condition rapidly deteriorated and progressed into Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA), students were challenged to think quickly, communicate effectively, and work together under pressure. Following ACLS protocols, they initiated resuscitation efforts, performed life-saving interventions, and continuously reassessed the patient throughout the code.

Through strong teamwork, clinical reasoning, and decisive action, the team successfully achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and saved the patient.

This immersive experience provided students with the opportunity to strengthen their emergency response skills, build confidence in high-pressure situations, and prepare for the realities of caring for critically ill patients.

👏 Outstanding work by our students for demonstrating professionalism, leadership, and exceptional teamwork throughout this challenging scenario!

🧸🩷 Pediatric Education Day! 🩷🧸

Our students had an exciting Pediatric Education Day featuring two pediatric simulations: asthma and cystic fibrosis.

For our asthma simulation, students worked with the cutest patient 🎀 while following the appropriate treatment pathway, assessing symptoms, communicating with the patient and family, and making clinical decisions in real time. To enhance the realism of the scenario, we utilized standardized patients-“SPs” (aka actors portraying the patient) not only as the pediatric patient, but also as a family member. This provided students with the opportunity to practice both their clinical skills and the communication, empathy, and professionalism required when caring for pediatric patients and supporting their families.

Working with children requires a unique approach, and experiences like these help prepare our future respiratory therapists to build trust, ease anxiety, educate caregivers, and deliver age-appropriate care in a safe learning environment before entering clinical practice.

The cystic fibrosis simulation challenged students to apply their knowledge of airway clearance techniques, respiratory assessment, and patient-centered care while managing a complex pediatric respiratory condition.

Absolutely fantastic job to all participants today!!

🚨 Trach Education Day Success! 🚨

Our learners put their tracheostomy emergency management skills to the test during an immersive simulation designed to challenge critical thinking, teamwork, and rapid intervention.

During the scenario, participants were faced with a patient in respiratory distress and had to systematically work through the DOPE troubleshooting algorithm:

🔹 D – Dislodgment
🔹 O – Obstruction
🔹 P – Pneumothorax
🔹 E – Equipment Failure

The team identified the cause of the emergency—a mucus plug obstructing the tracheostomy tube (thanks to a hot glue gun & some yellow glue🤓). They quickly intervened, successfully performed a tracheostomy tube change, restored the patient’s airway, and ultimately saved the patient.

These hands-on experiences provide invaluable opportunities to practice high-risk, low-frequency events in a safe learning environment while reinforcing evidence-based airway management skills.

👏 Great job to all participants for their teamwork, communication, and commitment to patient safety!

Our respiratory care students put their critical thinking to the test during our “What’s Wrong With the Room?” escape room simulation! 🔍🚨

Students had just 5 minutes to identify all 16 patient safety concerns hidden throughout the room in order to “escape.” The teams with the fastest times walked away with amazing prizes provided by one of the MLH student ambassadors, Earl Hutchins ! 🏆👏

In addition to Earl, we were excited to welcome back three other outstanding former students -Carly, Sydney, and Elijah. Elijah also serves as an MLH student ambassador. They shared valuable clinical experiences, offered insight into life as a respiratory therapist, and assisted with hands-on lab stations featuring refreshers on:
• HFNC
• BiPAP
• ABG acquisition
• Oxygen delivery devices

A huge thank you to our incredible alumni for returning to support, mentor, and inspire the next generation of respiratory therapists. Your continued encouragement and dedication to our students means so much! 💙

This past Saturday, the WCU BMH Respiratory Care Program Class of 2026 walked across the stage at graduation and celebrated an incredible achievement.

All the long hours studying, the drives to and from 12-hour clinical shifts, the written papers, research presentations, and countless moments of hard work and dedication made this accomplishment worth it.

We are so proud of each and every one of you and know you will bring so much good to the world through compassionate patient care, leadership, and service to the respiratory care community.

Go Rams! 🐏

Congratulations, Class of 2026 — you did it! 🩺 🧑‍🎓

Congratulations to the winners of the Spring 2026 Decorated Mortarboard Contest!

The College of Health Sciences is proud to celebrate the incredible creativity, talent, and spirit of our graduating students. From inspiring messages to beautiful artistic designs, this year’s mortarboards truly captured the heart of CHS!

Congratulations again to all of our graduates, we wish you a joyful commencement celebration and continued success in your next chapter!

Happy 2026 National Nurses Week!

We proudly celebrate the compassion, skill, and dedication of our incredible nursing faculty. From the classroom to clinical settings, you inspire the next generation of nurses while delivering exceptional care to our communities every day!

Your commitment to excellence, leadership, and patient-centered care does not go unnoticed.

We are proud to recognize our outstanding College of Health Sciences students who have been named 1871 Award Recipients! This is a prestigious honor celebrating academic excellence, leadership, and impact!

Congratulations to our CHS honorees:

🩺 Nursing
Jada Little
Christina Ngo
Grace Rudderow

🥗 Nutrition
Gabrielle DeVito
Amaya Lewis
Maria del Carmen Mendez Zavala

🌍 Public Health Sciences
Sayla Raynor
Luwam Teklegiorgis

🏃 Sports Medicine
Mackenzie Lane

Our Juniors have been busy these last few weeks of class! They learned about BiPAP and how the machine works, how to set up a Large Volume Neb, and how to sterile suction on a Trach patient. Almost ready for summer clinicals! Great work everyone!