Student Roles in Simulation

Primary RN: This nurse is responsible for assessing the patient and environment. The primary RN will:
 Communicate clearly and professionally.
 Communicate findings to the recorder.
 Be the nurse “in charge” of the situation.
 Assign tasks clearly and efficiently to other team members.
 Make sure priority assessments and necessary interventions are performed in an effort to stabilize the
patient.
 Understand who is doing what for the patient.
 Help or advise other team members.

Secondary RN: This nurse is assisting the primary nurse. The secondary RN will:
 Participate in assessments and care of the patient.
 Working to anticipate the needs of the primary nurse and patient.
 Provide support to the primary RN when the team needs further information or verifications are
needed from the medication RN.
 Collaborate with other team members as needed (i.e. can assist in giving medications or recording as
needed).
 Support with the patient, offering reassurance and therapeutic communication.

Medication RN: This nurse is responsible for safe and effective medication administration. The medication RN
will:
 Ensure there is a patent and effective IV.
 Take responsibility for the IV pump.
 Double-check any IVF or medication that are hanging when care is assumed.
 Carry out the 5 rights of medication administration
 Carry out aseptic medication administration techniques.
 Plan and administer medication per MAR and as orders are received intermittently from the provider.

Recorder RN: This nurse is responsible for overviewing and understanding the whole patient situation. The
recorder RN will:
 Record patient care and events accurately, including assessments, vital signs, medications and
treatments by time.
 Ask for any missing data to assist with planning care.
 Provide handoff report to the next team.
 Ask for and provide clarification to team members as needed.
 Communicate with the provider using the SBAR format.
 Assist and advise other team members.

Observers: These nurses are responsible for observing the care team and evaluating their performance.
Observers will use the learning outcomes as guide when evaluating their fellow nurses. These nurses will:
 Observe the care team from a designated area.
 Remain quiet, engaged and respectful to the other observers while watching the other care teams
perform.
 Note specific behaviors that do or do not support achievement of the scenario learning outcomes.
 Share their observations during debriefing.
 At the end of the simulation, pass in their observer notes that describe how learning outcomes were
met.

05.20.19