Meet Phelps Health’s New Lifelike Patient Training Simulator

Meet Leonardo. He’s 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. His eyes blink and his pupils dilate. You can hear his heartbeat, pulse and breath. Leonardo even talks.

But Leonardo is no ordinary patient. He’s a lifelike, high-fidelity manikin – one of two recently acquired with a federal grant awarded to Phelps Health. (A high-fidelity manikin closely mimics human body functions.)

You can find Leonardo in Phelps Health’s high-fidelity patient simulation labs. These labs allow healthcare staff and students to realistically practice patient care.

Phelps Health was awarded a 3-year, $770,635 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a federal agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

According to HRSA, the goal of the grant is “to enhance nurse education and strengthen the nursing workforce by increasing training opportunities for nursing students through the use of simulation-based technology, including equipment, to increase their readiness to practice upon graduation. This training expands the capacity of nurses to advance the health of patients, families and communities in rural or medically underserved areas experiencing diseases and conditions such as stroke, heart disease, behavioral health, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and obesity.”

Thanks to the grant, Phelps Health purchased two adult manikins, supplies and computer equipment from MedVision as well as funded staff for the simulation labs.

According to Phelps Health staff Suzanne Weckman, MSN, SCRN, director of Clinical Nursing Services, and Starlyn Ritter, MA, BSN, simulation coordinator, high-fidelity simulation education is the new standard for safe healthcare education. Using these sophisticated patient simulators improves staff and students’ confidence and competence.

“This state-of-the-art technology places the learner in lifelike, complex patient situations and allows the use of clinical skills in a safe and controlled learning environment,” Starlyn said.

The new manikins replace an older model of a high-fidelity manikin with difficult-to-replace parts. Phelps Health staff and students also previously used low-fidelity manikins for training. However, they couldn’t perform procedures on those manikins.

The MedVision manikins let healthcare employees and students check for vital signs, like pulse and blood pressure; administer medications through an IV port (and watch as the manikin reacts to the medicine); and practice using a defibrillator (which gives an electrical shock to a heart to restore normal rhythm).

With the advanced patient simulator software, trainers can program the manikin to blink, dilate their pupils and even say, “My chest hurts.” The manikins have full joint mobility, with a head and chin that tilts back, too.

In addition, the manikins have a tetherless connection and a rechargeable, swappable battery (with over 8 hours of battery life). The manikins also have removable metal connectors to apply electrodes for defibrillators or an ECG (electrocardiogram).

The patient simulator software allows trainers to program various health scenarios, including conditions commonly seen in patients in rural healthcare settings.

“We can even program the manikin to simulate the symptoms of heart attack,” Suzanne said.

Additionally, the software records all interactions with the manikin, providing valuable feedback to learners.

“We also record these training sessions via Zoom, allowing learners to view their performance with the manikin and self-reflect on improvement,” Starlyn said.

The simulation labs complement the clinical education currently offered at Phelps Health.

“This teaching tool helps our staff and students develop clinical judgment and critical thinking skills,” Suzanne said. “We want to expose learners to real-life scenarios, making them easier to recognize when caring for patients.”

In addition to the MedVision manikins and patient simulator computer system, the Phelps Health Auxiliary and Volunteer Services donated $9,993 to the Clinical Education Department to buy a UbiSim Virtual Reality (VR) simulator.

The VR simulator bridges gaps in the clinical education program by immersing students and staff in various scenarios without the need for a specialty manikin.

With the mobile VR system, Clinical Education staff can travel to clinics, hospitals and long-term care facilities in Phelps Health’s service area to educate staff and students.