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Home News Spotlight Steven Godwin, MD

Steven Godwin, MD

Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Assistant Dean and Medical Director, Simulation Education
UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville

UF physician leading the way in simulation education

They breathe, speak, bleed and even give birth--no, they’re not real patients, but life-like manikins known as simulators that are used to train residents, nurses and other healthcare workers at the University of Florida Center for Simulation Education and Safety Research (CSESaR).

The center was formed in 1999 as a collaborative effort between the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville Dean’s Office and Shands Jacksonville. A grant from the Department of Defense was used to purchase the campus’s first simulator. As the center grew, simulation was incorporated into resident education curriculum to help train on important medical conditions.

Steven Godwin, M.D., a University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, oversees the high-tech operation. As assistant dean and medical director of simulation education, he was instrumental in bringing the center to the campus, providing the critical leadership and insight in using the latest training technology to improve patient safety.

More than 70 simulators are housed in the 24,000-square-foot center on the Shands Jacksonville campus, making it one of the largest simulation centers in the country. The futuristic simulators can mimic almost every type of illness or injury, with skin that can be pierced for injections, physical procedures and surgery. Rooms are equipped with standard hospital equipment—beds, electronic monitors and medical supplies—completing the sense of realism. The center also includes an operating room as well as a disaster simulation area.

CSESaR is primarily used by UF resident physicians training in emergency medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics, pediatrics and surgery. The center is designed to merge the classroom experience with simulated patient encounters, allowing residents to gain valuable hands-on experience and exposing them to procedural training, crisis management and diverse clinical situations.

Other healthcare providers also receive training in the center. Nurses receive simulation education on wound care, taking vital signs, locating veins and administering intravenous medications. Paramedics train for mass-casualty and disaster scenarios. The center also offers military combat medics and soldiers training for low-trauma emergency cases that they might see supporting civilian hospitals in a war zone.

Godwin received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. He came to the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville in 1994 to do a residency in emergency medicine. When he completed his residency, he was recruited to join the faculty.

Constance Haan, M.D., a UF associate professor of surgery and senior associate dean of educational affairs, said Godwin has led the journey into simulation education and application of technology-enhanced learning. She said he continues to be an innovative educator and an invaluable resource.

"Dr. Godwin has a keen eye for identifying simulation opportunities to build better team functioning and communication skills to deal with the challenging interactions that occur in the face of a patient and family under stress from injury or illness," said Haan. "Dr. Godwin is a leader in collaboration for multidisciplinary teams on campus and for institutions and organizations that wish to utilize simulation education. We are fortunate and proud to have him as one of our education leaders."

Godwin said what appeals most to academic physicians is the ability to train for specific conditions on demand and the ability to teach lesser-used, yet life-saving, procedures. Using the simulation center also allows for group learning, interaction and assessment.

"If I want to give a demonstration on the treatment of atrial fibrillation (a disorder of the heart rhythm) but don’t have a patient with that condition, I can create that in the simulation center," said Godwin.

Godwin's goals for CSESaR are to meet the educational needs of the University’s educational programs. He envisions the CSESaR as a leader in curricular development for medical education of residents as well as for continuing medical education for practicing physicians and nurses.

Godwin said because of the highly developed training offered by the simulation center, patients are the true beneficiaries.

"It is very rewarding to see our physicians and nurses trained using these advanced simulators and to know that because of this technology, our patients receive the some of the best care in the region," said Godwin.

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