New Simulation Man offers nurses real-life training
By Tony Graf Sun-Times Media tgraf@stmedianetwork.com December 23, 2011 12:36PM
Clinical Nurse Specialist Mary Gniady (right) and Karen Blum, RN, (left) coordinator of the simulation lab, talk about the Laerdal Simulation Man during the Simulation Lab Open House at Provena St. Joseph Medical Center Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: January 17, 2012 11:57AM
Mary Gniady did not know the name of the man she rescued Wednesday. As an advanced practice nurse, she had a job to do, and she quickly went to work.
“I am alive!” the man responded excitedly after Gniady performed CPR.
Gniady still doesn’t know the man’s name. That will have to wait.
Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center has a new lab with a high-tech Simulation Man, a lifelike human figure that breathes, sweats and responds realistically to nursing care.
The mannequin, designed for education and training purposes, has digitally controlled vital signs. Nurses can observe the readings — and sometimes see and feel results — as his condition changes.
After Gniady’s successful rescue, she heard the results from him loud and clear.
With the training, nurses can perfect skills before having to perform certain procedures on human beings.
In 2010, the medical center received a federal grant of about $750,000, which helped buy the Laerdal SimMan 3G simulator and other components for the new Clinical Education and Simulation Lab.
“Our nurses can practice that whole patient experience, just as it would be in a real patient room,” said Debbi Del Re, manager of professional nursing practice at the medical center.
Simulation Man
Karen Blum, an advanced practice nurse at the medical center and coordinator of the simulation lab, demonstrated how the mannequin can breathe, blink, cry, sweat, bleed, cough, groan and talk. It can shake, as if suffering a seizure. And it has nasal and ear secretions, which are used to simulate head injuries.
Nurses in training can give the man medication. If they do something wrong, his condition will deteriorate accordingly. If they perform the proper procedures, his condition will improve.
At an open house last week, nurses demonstrated the application of a bag valve mask to the man’s mouth, which helps oxygenation.
Nurses can take the man’s blood pressure and pulse. Once again, they must use proper procedures, because the man knows his own blood pressure and will indicate if the nurse’s reading is off.
The man also “bleeds” water. The nurse applies direct pressure, and the bleeding stops.
The high-tech figure can simulate several life-threatening medical emergencies, such as an asthma attack, cardiac arrest or trauma.
There also are low-tech figures, partial mannequins, that will help train nurses in properly giving injections, nasal gastric tube insertion, colostomy care and urinary catheterizations.
Future uses
The simulator will be located in the second-floor clinical education lab, but it has the capability of being moved anywhere in the hospital for training.
The advanced life support class will be using the simulator in January.
As part of the transition-into-practice program, new graduate nurses will use the Simulation Man to help develop their skills and confidence.
In the future, the hospital hopes to be able to partner with other providers in the community and offer the him for other learning activities.
And what about his name? The hospital is holding a contest to give him a nickname. Some thought will be required, because if Wednesday’s demonstration was any indication, he has a great personality.
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