Learning from dummies

They sweat. They bleed. They moan. They make great teachers.

Patient simulator mannequins play a growing role in training medical students, residents, nurses and other staff at Cincinnati Children’s, especially in critical care.

Traditionally, healthcare teaches technical skills, or algorithms of care, but equally important for patient safety and positive outcomes are non-technical skills like teamwork and communication. Simulation training gives healthcare providers the opportunity to practice these skills in a safe, yet realistic environment to improve the quality and safety of patient care.

Patient simulators are capable of exchanging real gasses (oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen), producing palpable pulses, audible heart sounds and respiratory sounds, as well as other physiologic cues like pupillary responses and EKG waveforms. The mannequins allow for real-time interventions such as defibrillation and medication administration and realistic “patient” responses to interventions.

Read more about the Center for Simulation and Research, now one of the nation’s largest pediatric simulation centers.