Using the human patient simulator to foster critical thinking in critical situations.

New registered nurses are expected to utilize critical thinking when providing care to their patients, especially in critical situations. Using mini-scenarios on the human patient simulator, faculty members can foster critical thinking and expose students to critical situations in a nonthreatening environment. An example of one such scenario, using an oncology patient with hypercalcemia and ventricular tachycardia, is outlined in the article.