Anesthesia Simulator is being used at many anesthesia training programs to help bridge the gap between didactics and the clinical environment. It can also be used to supplement full-scale mannequin based simulation sessions and provide periodic refresher sessions to help retain the simulator experience. Anesthesia Simulator can also be used during lectures to demonstrate clinical concepts.
Read some comments below from various anesthesia training programs:
Debra Minzola PhD, MSN, MBA, CRNA, FAANA
Program Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program
Geisinger Staff CRNA
Associate Professor, Commonwealth University of PA, Bloomsburg Campus
“We use Anesoft in the early portion of the program. Shortly before students begin clinical rotations we assign them 2 of the most basic scenarios to work on at home. We then do an instructor led instructional day where the scenarios are reviewed and the students are led through some of the basic decisions made in those cases. These cases are done multiple times using both appropriate and inappropriate drugs/doses/interventions so the students can get a feel for the physiologic changes that occur with the use of different medications, ventilatory settings and the like. The timing of drug onset and synergistic effects are highlighted. As the students’ progress into some basic clinical work in real life, we assign some of the cases with complications or advanced physical status for the students to review. We again bring the students together for instructional days where the instructor allows students to dictate the anesthesia decisions while the instructor moderates discussions regarding case physiology/pathophysiology, drug/dosage choices, appropriate monitoring and how to intervene in a complication/crisis. These discussions are also directly related to the anesthesia pharmacology course the students are concurrently taking. Feedback from students regarding these virtual simulations/discussions has been positive and students have enjoyed transferring the knowledge gained in simulation to the operating room.”
Katie McGill, DNP, CRNA
Assistant Program Director, Millikin University and DMH Nurse Anesthesia Program
“We incorporate the Anesoft modules into our beginning clinical practicum courses throughout the students’ 2nd year of the nurse anesthesia program when they are starting to work on patients in the OR. Incorporating these crises scenarios and patient populations/comorbidities allows them the opportunity to practice in a simulation setting without risk of patient harm, so that they are better prepared and equipped with the necessary skillset and knowledge to safely care for these patients in the real-world setting.”
Deborah Burnett-Olsen DNAP CRNA
Program Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program, Cedar Crest College School of Nursing
“I am writing on behalf of our Nurse Anesthesia Program at Cedar Crest to express our appreciation for your simulation platform and to share how we have integrated Anesoft into our curriculum.
We use the Anesoft program as a key component of our students’ orientation to the operating room (OR) environment. Specifically, students are introduced to the platform during the summer before starting their clinical rotations. This early exposure allows them to develop the cognitive framework for anesthesia practice in a safe, guided, and simulated environment.
As our students progress through the program, we continue to assign Anesoft cases that align with the didactic content they are studying. For example, during cardiovascular or obstetric anesthesia units, we assign corresponding cases within the platform to reinforce learning and enhance clinical reasoning. This integration supports knowledge application and helps students link theory to practice before encountering similar situations in the clinical setting.
We have found Anesoft to be an effective tool for promoting clinical preparedness, critical thinking, and confidence among our students. Thank you for providing such a valuable educational resource.”
Carol J. Daniel, DNAP, APRN, CRNA, CHSE
Academic Director, Graduate Program in Nurse Anesthesiology, St Mary’s University of Minnesota
“I would love to share how we’ve been utilizing Anesoft cases within our front-loaded program. Since our students aren’t yet in clinical, it can be challenging for them to fully engage with some of the actions required to progress through a case. To bridge that gap, we focus on breaking down the cases in a more general, foundational way.
We incorporate task training components such as induction sequences, ventilator settings, and medication administration, alongside a few targeted simulations. Anesoft is integrated throughout our didactic content to align with weekly topics—for example, we pair cases like Neuro, Malignant Hyperthermia (MH), and Anaphylaxis with their respective lectures. Altogether, we’ve incorporated around 10 cases over the course of the first year.
It’s been a great tool to get students thinking critically about drug dosing and the overall flow of induction, intubation, and emergence. For our MH simulation, we don’t have a high-fidelity manikin, so we projected the Anesoft MH case in the classroom with our task trainers, actual dantrolene and charcoal filters for actions while we pause the scenario. One instructor led the session by pausing the scenario at key moments to discuss important decision points and clinical reasoning with the students. I’ve attached our MH simulation breakdown for reference. We divided it into sections to help guide discussion and learning.”
Cheryl L. Nimmo, DNP, MSHSA, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN
Program Director, Associate Clinical Professor Nurse Anesthesia Program, University of New England
“We use the Anesoft cases in Basic Principles II. The students are getting ready to go to clinical in the following semester and the simulated cases are a great way to introduce them to the actual case flow, things they will see, decision making, and what therapies to choose. It also gives them an evaluation at the end of the case and explains what was missed or incorrect. We assign specific cases to them and let them choose others to do on their own. We are planning to utilize this more in the clinical semesters to support what they are learning in real time.”
Thomas Watson, DNAP, MSNA, CRNA
Assistant Program Administrator, Department of Nurse Anesthesia, Newman University
“I use Anesoft extensively in our program. I first introduce it in our Basics to Anesthesia course, where students are assigned the basic induction scenarios along with a few additional cases. The goal is for new students to practice the sequence of induction and understand the expected physiologic responses to administered drugs.
This is paired with hands-on training in our simulation lab over several weeks, where students learn the muscle movements and physical sequence of induction. I encourage them to use Anesoft to master the pharmacologic and physiologic components, and to explore the program beyond the assigned cases.
Later, I reintroduce Anesoft in Sim 3 and 4, which focuses on crisis management. Students are expected to learn the crisis steps from the Stanford Emergency Manual—for example, in scenarios like bronchospasm—and then use the corresponding Anesoft modules to reinforce that content.
We also conduct high-fidelity simulation in these courses, though those components are separate from our use of Anesoft. Overall, we utilize a substantial portion of your original modules throughout our curriculum.”
Angela Milosh, DNP CRNA
Program Director, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, School of Nurse Anesthesia
“We are planning to implement Anesoft into the coursework this summer, as part of our evaluation process this year. In the past, we have made it available as a resource, without requiring students to go through it. We are hoping that by requiring it, we can get a more standardized approach to their learning.”
Ashish Patel, CAA, MMSc
Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant
Simulation Director Master of Science in Anesthesia Program
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
Medstar Medical Group – Anesthesiology
“I like the Anesoft platform for many reasons. It is streamlined, has relevant cases, gives the students good repetition and practice, is affordable, emphasizes objectives, etc. We utilize it for our junior students in the summer, fall and spring when there is downtime/no physical simulation lab. I assign them two-three cases each time with greater complexity as they progress. I also occasionally use it for students that need extra clinical help as a part of their support to get up to speed.”