On episode 311 of The Nurse Keith Show nursing and healthcare career podcast, Keith interviews Amy Cowperthwait, RN, MSN, CNS, CHSE, the founder of CEO of Avkin, a company dedicated to producing cutting-edge high fidelity mannequins and simulation technology for the advancement of clinical nursing education. An innovator at heart, Ms. Cowperthwait and Avkin continue to bring simulation to life through interprofessional solutions that adapt to the changing 21st-century healthcare environment.
Starting out as an ER nurse, Amy Cowperthwait, CEO, RN, MSN, CNS, CHSE, found her niche when transitioning to simulation at the University of Delaware. After a trach simulation gone awry, Amy’s goal became to develop a solution to add the human element to challenge the standards of simulation. Three years of research and development culminated in the formation of Avkin in 2015. Since then, she has continued to be an innovator in the field of healthcare education.
As the founder of Avkin, Amy Cowperthwait has sought out opportunities to blend the art and science of healthcare. An innovator at heart, she continues to bring simulation to life through interprofessional solutions that adapt to the changing healthcare environment.
Rooted in the Latin words, “Akin” and “Vera,” Avkin is the combination of the two. With Akin meaning ‘of similar character,’ and vera meaning ‘truth,’ the goal has always been to create the best quality products that allow for education to be ‘of similar character’ and ‘true’ to what learners will experience in real life.
High fidelity simulation is widely considered the “gold standard” for simulation. It typically involves a high fidelity manikin that mimics human life through technology by “breathing” and automatically responds when the health care learner performs a skill or procedure on the “patient” Additionally, High Fidelity Simulation is often associated with Simulation in accordance with INACSL Standards of Best Practice instead of Skills, it is more scenario-based and includes pre-briefing, the scenario, and de-briefing. For Avkin’s purposes, the highest-fidelity simulation occurs with a trained Simulated Participant in accordance with ASPE Standards of Best Practice and can also include a haptic wearable simulator.
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In case you didn’t already know, Nurse Keith is a holistic career coach for nurses, award-winning nurse blogger, writer, podcaster, keynote and motivational speaker, and popular career columnist. With two decades of nursing experience, Keith deeply understands the issues faced by 21st-century nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast. Keith’s message of savvy career management and professional satisfaction reaches tens of thousands of nurses worldwide. Keith can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram—as well as at NurseKeith.com.Podcast: Play in new window | Download