An ‘alien invasion’ was the theme of the major incident simulation event that took place in an underground car park on Bournemouth University’s (BU) Landsdowne Campus, held over the course of two days on 19 and 20 March 2025.
The realistic scene of a multiple casualty event was set using volunteer students from across the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS) who acted their parts as casualties with realistic-looking injuries that were created and applied by a team of makeup artist students from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).
The event began with first year and final year Paramedic Science students from FHSS being briefed on the developing emergency and given the task of stabilising the casualties.
On day 2 of the event 300 third year Nursing students from FHSS were then led into the underground car park, which had been turned into a field hospital to practice their skills at continuing the casualties’ treatment.
Una Brosnan, Lecturer in Paramedic Science, who organised the event said: “By creating a controlled environment in the form of a simulated multiple casualty event like this, we can allow students to experience what it’s like to work in a traumatic and stressful scenario, but in a safe space. The ‘alien invasion’ theme is to add a bit of light-heartedness to the event, but the processes and systems of triaging and treating patients is the same as in a real-life situation.”
The range of simulated injuries that Nursing students treated varied from fractured bones, crush injuries, catastrophic haemorrhage and more complex injuries that required students to work in multidisciplinary teams.
Many of the Nursing students were being assessed on the 'A-E' method of treating acutely ill patients and their vital signs. Third Year BU Nursing Apprentice, Dan Willis who took part in the event said: “Our A-E skills have been assessed under quite a lot of pressure and noise, so we’re having to think on our feet and use the training we’ve gained over the last 3 years.”
Mental Health Nursing training was included in the day’s events. It also took the form of a simulated exercise that involved an actor playing the part of a patient who was having a psychotic episode. Mental Health Nursing students from across the FHSS were given the chance to interview the patient to assess and diagnose the severity of their condition.
Charlotte Mutton, BU’s Lecturer in Practice Simulation who helped co-ordinate the Nursing students on the day said: “We’re being supported today by some of our colleagues from our local NHS Trusts including Paediatric Nurses, Resus Team Nurses and Practice Educators who currently work at University Hospitals Dorset. They have come here today to guide students through the treatment and assessment of patients, as well as de-briefing the students after, which is an essential part of their learning.”
Stuart Richardson, Clinical Educator at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), one of BU’s partner agencies, who helped the students during their clinical assessments said: “This simulation event is something that I didn’t have as a nurse. Having the noise and the element of chaos, which you wouldn’t normally get if you were treating a mannequin adds a whole element of realism to it for the students. It will be good practice for when they start working at other hospital trusts, like UHD.”
For further information about the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and the courses available to study please visit the BU website.
