For generations, learning human anatomy has meant textbooks, models and traditional cadaver labs. At Augusta University, future nurse anesthetists are also learning with technology that puts a digitized human cadaver at their fingertips.

The College of Nursing's Nursing Anesthesia Program is using Anatomage Tables, advanced anatomy systems that allow students to explore the human body digitally and in significant detail.

Augusta University's program is the first Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program in the nation to have two Anatomage Tables. According to the university, fewer than 10% of programs have access to even one.

Michael Wilson, DNAP, assistant professor at Augusta University, regularly teaches with the technology and has played an important role in expanding its use within the program.

For students preparing to work in anesthesia, being able to clearly visualize anatomy has direct relevance to their education. The tables can clearly display the nervous system, for example, helping students learn about nerve blocks that are critical to regional anesthesia.

“There’s no guesswork with the table.” – Michael Wilson, DNAP

Wilson says the technology also allows him to ask students much more detailed anatomy questions than would be possible using a traditional cadaver. Students can book independent lab time with the tables, giving them an opportunity to control the technology themselves and use it for additional study and practice.

The technology is already becoming part of how students are assessed. Wilson administered the program's first lab practical using an Anatomage Table, an experience he described as a “huge success and landmark for the university.”

Bringing Technology Into Health Sciences Education

Wilson combines a background in anatomy and physiology with an interest in technology, using that experience to integrate Anatomage into nursing anesthesia education and explore its potential use with Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner students. The technology builds on NAP’s legacy of innovation and excellence. Established in 1994, it was among Georgia’s first public programs, is now among the five largest in the nation and has been nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top graduate program.