Most important takeaways…
- Augusta University's CRNA program is the first nationally with two Anatomage Tables.
- Virtual dissection isolates nerve pathways far more clearly than traditional cadavers.
- Faculty training and curriculum mapping are essential before the technology pays off.
Fewer than 10 percent of CRNA programs in the United States have access to even one Anatomage Table, a life-sized digital dissection platform built from real CT scans. Augusta University's Nursing Anesthesia Program now has two, making it the first program in the country to reach that milestone. The gap between those numbers captures a broader tension in NP anesthesia education: high-fidelity simulation technology can transform how students learn airway, nerve, and cardiovascular anatomy, yet most programs still lack the hardware, faculty training, or budget to adopt it.
That gap is narrowing. Augusta's faculty are already working to extend Anatomage Table use to their Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP students, signaling applications well beyond anesthesia training.
What Is an Anatomage Table and How Does Virtual Dissection Work?
What does it actually mean to perform a virtual dissection on a life-sized touchscreen?
An Anatomage Table is a life-sized, table-style touchscreen loaded with digital human bodies reconstructed from real CT and MRI scans. Those scans are the important part: the images come from actual patient anatomy, not artistic illustrations, so the tissue layers, vessels, and organs look the way they do in a real body.
How the touchscreen works
The table functions as an interactive 3D atlas and a form of nurse practitioner clinical simulation. You can spin the body, zoom into a nerve pathway, make overlying structures transparent, or highlight one system in color. Because the table responds to touch gestures, it feels more like moving a physical model than clicking through software. Learners and instructors can save a marked-up view, upload content, and share it later, which means a difficult dissection does not have to be redone from scratch.
It includes at least eight full cadavers, with options for pediatric, geriatric, and varied states of health.1 That range is especially useful for nurse practitioner students because it lets them compare normal aging anatomy with disease-related changes in the same session, sharpening the visual reasoning used in nurse practitioner differential diagnosis.
The core idea is simple: virtual dissection removes the time, mess, and supply limits of a traditional cadaver lab while keeping the spatial detail.
How Augusta University Uses Anatomage Tables in Nurse Anesthesia Education
At Augusta University's College of Nursing, the Nursing Anesthesia Program has embedded the Anatomage Table into core anesthesia training. The program is the first CRNA program in the nation with two Anatomage Tables, and fewer than 10 percent of programs have access to even one.
Focused Clinical Applications
The tables support teaching in airway, pulmonary, nerve, and cardiovascular anatomy. Students can spin, zoom, and make structures transparent or highlighted to explore relationships that are hard to see in a fixed specimen. For regional anesthesia, they can trace nerve pathways before practicing nerve blocks, linking virtual anatomy to procedure planning.
For cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, layered views let students isolate vessels or airway structures and study how they sit relative to surrounding tissues. Because the table includes cadavers from different ages, races, and health states, students can also compare variations that affect anesthesia planning.
Why Nerve Pathway Visualization Matters
Assistant professor Michael Wilson, DNAP, notes that nerves are difficult to dissect on a traditional cadaver. With the table, he can remove every structure except the nerve pathways, making delicate nerve routes easier to display and study. For nurse anesthesia students, that clarity supports a more precise understanding of where blocks are placed and why.
Building Independent Practice
Students schedule independent lab time to review dissections, reposition structures, and work through anatomy at their own pace. They can save progress and share views, which supports study groups and faculty feedback. Having two tables gives more students access to visual practice beyond a single demonstration.
How NP Students Use the Anatomage Table in Independent Lab Time
At Augusta University's Nursing Anesthesia Program, students have the flexibility to practice anatomy on their own schedule using the Anatomage Table. The program maintains a signup sheet so learners can reserve independent lab sessions outside of class, reinforcing concepts at their own pace. Here is the four-step workflow students follow during a typical self-directed session.
Anatomage vs Traditional Cadavers and Other Anatomy Tools
Choosing the right anatomy learning tool matters, especially in advanced practice nursing programs where mastering complex structures like nerve pathways and vascular anatomy is essential for clinical competence. Peer-reviewed research offers a nuanced picture: no single modality wins across every measure. The table below summarizes how Anatomage virtual dissection tables compare with traditional cadaveric dissection and other common tools across the dimensions that matter most to NP educators and students.
| Comparison Factor | Anatomage Virtual Dissection Table | Traditional Cadaveric Dissection | Plastic Models and Other Digital Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam Performance | In a large prospective study (n = 393), students using the virtual table showed significant improvement in anatomy lab exam scores compared with cadaver and model groups. A neuroanatomy study also found higher post-intervention test scores for the Anatomage group (74.5 vs. 71.3, p = 0.021). | Students assessed on physical cadaver practical exams scored significantly higher when trained with cadavers (p = 0.04), suggesting the medium of assessment matters. Cadaver-trained students excel when tested on real specimens. | In a multimodal comparison of five teaching tools, plastic models and standard 3D apps were rated lower than the virtual dissection table, and model-trained students showed lower lab exam performance. |
| Nerve Pathway and Deep Structure Visibility | Faculty can digitally remove overlying tissue to isolate nerve pathways, vessels, or organ systems in seconds. Up to 90% of students in one study preferred the virtual table for spatial understanding of complex structures. | Nerves are notoriously difficult to dissect without damaging them. While 92% of cadaver users valued the tactile experience of touching tissue, visualizing deep structures requires significant preparation time and skill. | Standard 3D apps and augmented images provide some layered views but lack the full-body, high-resolution CT data and interactive isolation features available on a virtual dissection table. |
| Repeatability and Independent Study | Sessions can be saved, replayed, and shared. Students can schedule independent lab time and revisit the same structures without degradation. The digital cadavers do not expire or deteriorate over time. | Once a structure is dissected, it cannot be restored. Cadaver availability is limited by donor supply, and specimens degrade over a semester, restricting repeat study of the same anatomy. | Physical models are durable and reusable but static. Digital apps allow some repeat study, though they typically lack the interactive depth and full-body scope of a dedicated virtual table. |
| Lab Logistics and Ethical Considerations | No body donation agreements, chemical preservation, ventilation systems, or biohazard disposal required. The table can be placed in a standard classroom. Programs without cadaver lab access saw significantly higher mid-term and final exam scores when using the virtual table. | Requires dedicated wet lab facilities, formaldehyde ventilation, strict handling regulations, and ongoing body donation partnerships. These logistics make cadaver programs resource-intensive and unavailable to many nursing schools. | Plastic models need minimal infrastructure but offer limited anatomical detail. Digital platforms require devices and software licenses but no specialized lab space. |
| Diversity of Specimens | Includes at least eight full digitized cadavers derived from CT scans, representing different ages, races, and health conditions. Specialized views for pediatric and geriatric populations support advanced practice education in areas like adult-gerontology care. | Specimen availability depends entirely on the donor pool, which may not reflect diverse patient populations. Access to cadavers with specific pathologies (such as lymphoma or lung cancer) is unpredictable. | Models typically represent a single, idealized anatomy. Some digital platforms include pathology modules, but options are generally more limited than a dedicated virtual dissection library. |
| Best Use Scenario for NP Programs | Strongest as a complement to cadavers in programs that have lab access, and as a primary anatomy resource for nursing programs without cadaver facilities. Integrative reviews conclude the table cannot fully replace cadaveric dissection but significantly enhances learning when used alongside it. | Remains the gold standard for programs that assess students on physical specimens and prioritize hands-on tactile learning. Most beneficial when paired with virtual tools that reinforce spatial understanding. | Useful as entry-level supplements, especially for foundational courses. Less effective as standalone tools for the complex anatomical knowledge required in nurse anesthesia or acute care NP training. |
Related Articles
Owning the technology is the easy part: training faculty to teach with it well is the gap most programs underestimate.
What This Means for NP Career Growth and Salary Outlook
Advanced training tools like the Anatomage Table can sharpen the clinical skills that set competitive NP candidates apart, but how does that translate to earning potential? The table below shows approximate 2025 national salary benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists. Keep in mind these figures reflect occupation-wide compensation and are not specific to graduates of programs that use Anatomage technology or any particular simulation platform.
| Occupation | Total U.S. Employment | 25th Percentile Salary | Median Salary | 75th Percentile Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners | 323,040 | $117,990 | $132,300 | $156,700 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 51,840 | $206,730 | $236,590 | $294,350 |
