WINNEMUCCA - Flight simulators give pilots hands-on training without risking their lives or the aircraft they're training to fly.
SIM MAN gives emergency medical responders hands-on training without risking life too.
At their last board meeting, Humboldt General Hospital's board of trustees got a demonstration of just how realistic that emergency response training can be with SIM MAN, the hospital's simulation mannequin.
SIM MAN was seated on the front row at the hospital board meeting with his "wife," Emergency Medical Services Outreach Coordinator Debbie Whittaker, by his side holding one of his arms.
Hospital board members handled a number of business items, including the presentation of plaques to the first-ever Lowry High School graduates of an emergency medical technician class.
Humboldt General Hospital (HGH) Emergency Services Director Pat Songer then announced that there would be a demonstration of the capabilities of the new emergency medicine simulation trainer.
Debbie Whittaker then exclaimed, "My husband has quit breathing. Help me please! I need help!" and the demonstration was under way.
SIM MAN was carefully eased to the floor for further examination by emergency medical personnel being assisted by the new high school Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) graduates.
In full view of the board and the audience, the graduates - working with HGH EMTs and paramedics - checked breathing and cleared SIM MAN's airway, and began performing CPR.
They started an IV on the mannequin and continued emergency treatment until the "patient" could be transferred to the ambulance (moved out into the hall) and then taken to the "emergency room" which was set up, again inside the board room in view of the board members and audience.
Dr. Leonard Perkinson and nurse Tina Mastrejuan went through emergency room training procedures that are possible with the top-of-the-line simulation mannequin. The "patient" survived the cardiac episode as was evidenced by his return to consciousness and breathing on his own.
Paramedic Ken Whittaker pointed out that the hospital's ambulance corps and emergency services personnel have trained on a simulation mannequin for a number of years. SIM MAN is a major upgrade with capabilities far beyond the equipment they had before.
One major upgrade is that SIM MAN is portable, making it possible to set up training scenarios that begin outside the hospital, continue in the ambulance and on into the emergency room. Such training scenarios can give emergency services personnel experience with situations before they are required to put their skills to use under the intense pressure of emergencies.
A paramedic or EMT can be connected to SIM MAN by computer to program the simulator to exhibit "symptoms" to fit the training scenario. The person at the computer gets information on the medication being administered intravenously via a barcode on the medication container. Information is also available as to the procedures being performed and whether they are correct, given the scenario. Through the computer connection and the microphone located in SIM MAN's ear, it's even possible for whoever is at the computer to hear questions being asked by medical personnel and actually have SIM MAN answer through a speaker on his forehead.
Ken Whittaker continued his list of SIM MAN's capabilities, saying, "When you shine a light into SIM MAN's eyes, his irises constrict around his pupils; he can sweat, cry, salivate, breathe; he can run a temperature; he can bleed."
Trainees can take his blood pressure, listen to lung and bowel sounds with a stethoscope pressed to either chest or back. Portions of the mannequin's skin can be removed and replaced so that he appears to be suffering from severe burns. Trainees can practice intubation on the mannequin, orally, nasally, or even surgical intubation.
It takes four hours to fully charge the portable SIM MAN, then he's ready for the training scenarios.
A $20,000 Rural Education Grant paid part of the $67,890 cost for SIM MAN. The company that manufactured him took the hospital's older simulation mannequin in for trade, according to Whittaker.
The Humboldt Hospital Auxiliary purchased another piece of equipment that was demonstrated at the same meeting. The automated CPR compression device is called a "Lucas." The Lucas hooks around a patient's chest and can continue equally spaced CPR chest compressions, allowing emergency medical personnel to focus on the breathing portion of CPR. The board and audience got to see the Lucas in action on SIM MAN.
Hospital board members said they were impressed with the demonstration. Several said they wished more members of the community could have seen the demonstration and felt it would help people understand the depth of the hospital's commitment to training its personnel to provide the very best medical care.[[In-content Ad]]
