Case Study
Transforming IV pump training with SimVS-IV
What changes when a nursing program swaps a shelf of refurbished pumps for a software simulator that runs on the devices it already owns.
SimVS-IV changes how nursing schools teach IV medication administration. By replacing refurbished pumps with a software-based simulator, programs reduce equipment cost, expand the number of practice opportunities per student, and give learners more repetitions in one of the most anxiety-producing areas of nursing education.
The challenge
For years, programs faced the same set of problems when teaching IV pump skills:
Unreliable equipment: Refurbished pumps often failed in class or required costly repairs.
Limited exposure: Students learned one interface, while clinical practice demanded familiarity with many.
Inflexible content: No way to add new drugs, which limited realism and adaptability.
High costs: Buying every brand of pump a student would encounter was never realistic.
Limited access: Too few pumps for too many students created inconsistent training.
Implementation across the curriculum
Faculty use the same tool at every stage of learning:
Pharmacology classes
Instructors project SimVS-IV to demonstrate medication administration concepts, linking theory to practice.
Skills labs
Students work in small groups with the simulator, learning to manage primary, secondary, and bolus infusions.
Simulation scenarios
In manikin-based exercises, one learner is assigned to medications and uses SimVS-IV to administer IV drugs realistically.
Online practice
Students log in from anywhere to complete faculty-assigned infusion exercises.
The app covers volume-, weight-, and dose-based infusions and includes safety guardrails that mirror modern clinical practice. Faculty also emphasize error management: students must troubleshoot simulated occlusions and air-in-line alarms before a pump can be restarted.
Outcomes and impact
Programs report four consistent benefits after adopting SimVS-IV:
Increased student confidence
IV medication administration is often one of the highest-anxiety skills for learners. Repeated safe practice reduces stress and builds readiness.
Consistency of training
Every student has access to the same scenarios and pump types, which makes competency easier to compare.
Lower costs
Instead of maintaining multiple refurbished devices, schools get five different pump interfaces in one app.
Ease of integration
Faculty can introduce the simulator in minutes, without complex setup or ongoing maintenance.
“We love our SimVS-IV.”
Stacia Donaldson, Mount St. Mary College
Online: practice anytime, anywhere
SimVS-IV Online extends these benefits beyond the lab. Faculty create and assign custom medication orders for asynchronous practice. Learners log in from home, practice on realistic pump interfaces, and build confidence through repetition.
Accessibility
Students can practice anywhere, on their own schedules.
Faculty oversight
Instructors assign work, track completion, and review performance.
Error-based learning
Online scenarios include pump errors, reinforcing the troubleshooting skills safe practice requires.
SimVS-IV InfusionIQ
InfusionIQ adds self-guided infusion scenarios students can work through independently.
Read about InfusionIQConclusion
Replacing aging pumps with a software-driven, multi-interface simulator gives programs a consistent and far cheaper way to teach medication administration, and the online platform means practice is no longer limited to lab hours.
SimVS-IV is not a replacement for clinical time. It is the repetition layer in front of it.