Three simulated scenarios: an accident at a chemical factory, a traffic accident with different vehicles involved and a terrorist attack at a concert, allowed the 34 students of the Master’s degree programme to put into practice the knowledge acquired during the course.

On 18 June, the Sant Cugat Campus and its outdoor spaces were the scene of the third edition of the simulation mass casualty incident (IMV) workshop of the UIC Barcelona Master’s Degree in Emergencies and Health Emergencies. The event was possible thanks to the collaboration of 18 nursing students playing the role of victims, case design and guidance during the activity by ten specialised instructors, and the effort of the entire team from the UIC Barcelona Clinical Simulation Area.

For two days, students of the master’s programme worked on how to deal with a mass casualty incident. With health instructors from SUMMA 112 emergency medical service and disaster experts from the Municipal Assistance and Rescue Emergency Service (SAMUR), together with SEM health workers, experts in nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical defence (NRBQ), theoretical and practical workshops were held with the focus on all areas of knowledge and developing the non-technical skills necessary to deal with this type of incident. Three outdoor simulations were carried out after working on logistical resource deployment skills, assistance roles, communications, psychological support to victims, rescue in hostile environments, NRBQ self-protection and decontamination. The realism of the recreated situations allowed the students to fully immerse themselves in each emergency, and they especially appreciated the work put into the characterisation and recreation of scenarios by the team of technicians and specialists from the Comprehensive Centre for Advanced Simulation (CISA) of the Sant Cugat Campus.

The UIC Barcelona Master’s Degree in Emergencies and Health Emergencies has a programme that allows students to expand their knowledge, improve their technical and non-technical skills and develop attitudes necessary to care for patients in health emergencies, and also earn additional specific certificates endorsed by the Catalan Resuscitation Council (CCR), the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMNT) and TASSICA Emergency, Training and Research S.A.