Connection & Modes
Set up your SimVS-IV devices and understand the two operating modes — Instructor-Led and Student Mode.
Connection & Modes
Setting Up Your Devices
Setup Guide
For complete setup instructions — WiFi configuration, app installation, and device pairing — see the Getting Started Guide.
- Network Setup — WiFi requirements for Server Mode and Router Mode
- App Installation — Installing SimVS on your tablets
- Device Pairing — Connecting instructor and student tablets
Once your devices are set up and paired, the operating mode is determined by your login credentials. Instructor licenses activate Instructor-Led Mode; student licenses activate Student Mode.
Instructor-Led Mode
Instructor-Led Mode is the primary way to run SimVS-IV in a classroom or simulation lab. One instructor tablet connects to one or many student devices, giving the instructor centralized control over the simulation session.
What the Instructor Can Do
From the instructor tablet, faculty can:
- Send medication orders — Push specific medication orders to student devices, simulating real clinical workflows
- Send pump errors — Trigger pump alarms and error conditions on student devices for troubleshooting practice
- Send media — Share patient charts, lab results, or images to student devices in real time
- Use checklists — Track student progress through procedural checklists during scenarios
- View learner logs — Monitor which drugs and medications each student has selected, programmed, and administered
- Manage the drug library — Add, edit, or share drugs across all connected student devices
- Select scenarios — Choose and launch pre-built simulation scenarios for the class
Instructor Operations
For detailed instructions on sending media, managing drugs, and other instructor features, see Instructor Operations.
Typical Instructor-Led Workflow
Set Up the Session
Log in to the instructor tablet with your instructor credentials. Student tablets log in with student credentials and pair to the instructor device.
Choose a Scenario
Select a simulation scenario from the instructor tablet. This determines the clinical context, available drugs, and expected pump programming.
Run the Simulation
Send medication orders to students. Monitor their progress through learner logs. Trigger pump errors or send additional media as the scenario unfolds.
Review Results
After the simulation, review learner logs to see each student's actions — what drugs they selected, how they programmed the pump, and whether guardrails were triggered.
Student Mode
Student Mode is a freeform practice environment. Any student can pick up a tablet, log in with student credentials, and practice independently — no instructor tablet required.
What Students Can Do
In Student Mode, students have full access to:
- All pump interfaces — Practice with Alaris, Plum, Sigma, Infusomat, Universal, and PCA pump simulators
- The drug library — Browse and select from the full drug library, including guardrail limits
- Pump programming — Set rates, VTBI, dose calculations, bolus delivery, and secondary infusions
- Self-paced practice — No time pressure, no instructor monitoring — students can repeat exercises as needed
When to Use Student Mode
Student Mode is ideal for:
- Open lab hours — Students practice IV pump skills on their own schedule
- Pre-class preparation — Familiarize with pump interfaces before an instructor-led session
- Remediation — Students who need extra practice can work independently
- Skills competency testing — Students demonstrate pump programming without instructor prompts
No Instructor Features in Student Mode
Student Mode does not include instructor features like sending medication orders, viewing learner logs, or triggering pump errors. These require an instructor tablet connected in Instructor-Led Mode.
Choosing the Right Mode
| Instructor-Led Mode | Student Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Login | Instructor credentials | Student credentials |
| Instructor tablet required | Yes | No |
| Medication orders | Instructor sends to students | Student selects freely |
| Learner logs | Visible to instructor | Not available |
| Pump errors | Instructor can trigger | Not available |
| Best for | Classroom scenarios, guided practice, assessments | Open lab, self-paced practice, remediation |