Nasco Healthcare is on the leading edge to train healthcare professionals in clinical simulation care for teens and young adults. With the mental health crisis post-Covid-19, there is an increasing need to address mental health and the associated consequences in the teenage and young adult population. DANi is a next generation KERi manikin with vastly improved aesthetics with softer tactile skin, tattoo sleeves, piercings, etc., to represent younger patients more realistically. This HealthySimulation.com article will build upon the Next-Gen Technology to Help the Next Generation article to explore how young adult patient simulator DANi can meet the healthcare simulation needs of teens and young adults.
Advanced Teenage Trainer – DANi
Nasco Healthcare introduced DANi Teen & Young Adult Advanced Simulation Training Platform in 2023. DANi addresses the gap between pediatric manikin and middle-aged manikin. With DANi, Nasco Healthcare introduced the first-to-market teenage simulation training platform. DANi allows healthcare workers, crime and sexual abuse investigators, and social workers to Be READY for teen patients who need their care. DANi has the new generation simulation training platform with add-ons to simulate scenarios experienced by at-risk youth, such as drug abuse, sexual assault, and self-harm. The lifelike realism of DANi helps first responders and emergency department professionals to Be READY to provide care to teens and young adults.
DANi can be used for the practical application of to address the curricular needs for basic and advanced life support, Certification in Sexual Abuse Trauma (CSAT), Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner – Pediatric/Adolescent (SANE-P). The SANE module can be used for advanced pelvic and gynaecological examination, collection of evidence from pubic hair, and other sexual assault triage training. Similarly, DANi has a Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Module that will allow for training examination of herpes blisters, venereal warts, syphilis chancre, and internal exams of the patent urethra, bladder, and prolapse. These modules provide dynamic and challenging simulation scenarios for learners to administer critical care to the young patient population that was not previously available.
The trauma simulation includes the traditional aspects of physical assessment, airway, breathing, circulation, body trauma scan, and wound care. However, DANi offers the ability to incorporate self-harm and drug use moulage.
Moulage includes acne and smooth skin, tattoo sleeve, piercings, earrings, three styles of wigs, and foot wounds. The inclusion of these props decreases the workload of the simulation staff because the staff will not have to create or add these items.
DANI has improved patient positioning abilities to increase realism, including a superior range of motion, seating, laying, and finger and toe manipulation. Traditional nursing care skills can be practiced with DANi, including IV arm, urinary catheterization, injection pads, stomach bags, and enema reservoir.
Traditional Manikin Function
Physiological support for patient care is standard with DANi. The respiratory support allows for manual ventilation with chest rise, respiratory support, intubation, ventilation, tracheostomy care, and suctioning. DANI has five anterior, six upper posterior, four lower posterior, and two midaxillary lung sites with 12 lung conditions. The cardiac support has six anterior heart sites with 12 heart conditions. DANi allows learners to practice Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
More About Nasco
Based in Saugerties, NY, and Fort Atkinson, WI, Nasco Healthcare provides a wide range of innovative and affordable healthcare simulation products to healthcare professionals worldwide. The company was started in 1941 by Norman Eckley, an agricultural teacher who developed educational tools from his farm. Eighty years later, Nasco Healthcare has always supported Emergency Medical Services (EMS), EMTs, Law Enforcement Officers (LEO), first responders, nurses, and phlebotomists to Be READY. With over 6,000 products, the company has considered every need and offers the right simulation solution for any situation.
Nasco Healthcare strives to meet the healthcare needs of all sections of society with quality, reliability, and integrity. The company’s products are made to ISO9001 standards, and Nasco Healthcare backs this up with a warranty of up to five years. The company’s simulators are future-proof with easily upgradeable and replaceable parts. Nasco Healthcare is here to help healthcare heroes.
- Ready to answer the call.
- Ready to make split-second decisions.
- Ready to deliver when it counts.
- Ready for any situation.
- Ready to save lives.
Nasco Healthcare is passionate about developing training solutions that reflect diversity, as racial and ethnic minorities tend to receive lower-quality access to healthcare. The company strongly believes that diversity in simulation helps ensure that healthcare workers are both knowledgeable and caring about the communities they will work in. This includes incorporating different skin tones into their products that reflect the unique populations that healthcare workers serve.
Nasco’s New Chief Executive Officer
Nasco Healthcare announced the appointment of Paul Gonsalves as Chief Executive Officer in July 2023. Nasco Healthcare is majority owned by investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital. Mr. Gonsalves has held a number of senior leadership roles over the past three decades, including President of Orthofix’s Global Orthopedics business and Chief Commercial Officer of Integra Lifesciences. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gonsalves held various executive positions at AccentCare, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, WellCare Health Plans, and GE Healthcare. Mr. Gonsalves holds a B.S. in Management from Rutgers University School of Business.
“Nasco Healthcare has a comprehensive portfolio of hyper-realistic, reliable, and affordable simulation and training products that prepare frontline healthcare workers to be ready to deliver optimal patient outcomes and save lives,” said Mr. Gonsalves. “I am excited to have the opportunity to partner with the Nasco Healthcare team to build on such a solid foundation.”
“We are pleased to welcome Paul, a seasoned executive with a proven track record of driving commercial and operational growth, to Nasco Healthcare,” said Anup Bagaria, Co-Managing Partner at EagleTree Capital. “With numerous growth opportunities on the horizon and Paul leading the charge, Nasco Healthcare is well positioned to continue on its next phase of expansion,” added Rohan Rai, Partner at EagleTree Capital.
