A Simulation Manikin is a trainer for product that provides a means by which learners and educators can practice their healthcare skills in real-time before attempting to assess or perform a treatment on a patient first-hand. While standardized (or “sample”) patients have been used across medical training since the mid-twentieth century, improving technologies have led to a number of advanced ways that digital patient simulation models can be represented through manikins.
That being said, Simulation Manikins in healthcare simulation are used today for the purpose of advancing clinical skills through learning and assessment. This usage has demonstrated that advanced and expanded opportunities within healthcare learning can lead to ever-increasing safety measures. These simulated opportunities further create the opportunity for these learners and residents to develop and practice their skills beyond what is typically retained through a standard textbook education.
For these reasons, the practice of using Simulation Manikins has become especially important when learners must internalize ways to react to challenging and high-risk scenarios which present actual risk to patients throughout their careers. Through practice on Simulation Manikins, learners can become better prepared to manage their immediate reactions to critical situations, while maintaining a steady hand and expert focus. Simulation Manikins can also reduce the need for supervision or direct oversight later on during many clinical patient encounters.
Aside from safety and practice, Simulation Manikins are known to produce a number of other clear advantages as compared to traditional training. One benefit is that practice on a Simulated Manikin often leads to more effectiveness in the clinical out-patient environment. Another advantage is the sheer convenience in using these products. Simulation Manikins tend to be designed so that they are easily transportable, durable and can be set up and used anywhere and at any time. This ease in use eliminates the need to have to prepare training and lesson plans around the availability of a live patient.
Convenience is also demonstrated by the ability to instructors, educators or trainers to provide real-time feedback directly following a Simulation Manikin experience. By providing feedback immediately after use of a Simulation Manikin, learners are able to quickly identify errors and improve upon these mistakes during future simulation or patient encounters. Ultimately, being given feedback while the encounter or experience is still “fresh” helps them to better internalize and correct mistakes.
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Next, as the use of Simulation Manikins expands the standardization of care, the products will simultaneously help ensure that all learners are presented with the tools, standards and protocols needed to provide quality care locally, nationally and internationally. In addition to standardizing patient care expectations, Simulation Manikins can help to either compress or expand the time frame during which a simulated experience takes place. This is especially useful when simulating laboratory tests (which can take weeks to come back), and then using the results to continue treating the Simulation Manikin.
More unique features that these products can offer are varying blood pressure, pulse and sweating, and can even blink. They can also simulation some neurological systems and allow for the performance of neurological evaluations. The listening and empathy able to be produced by Simulation Manikins are also facilitated through attributes, including attentive non-verbal communication, and through responding to cues, including making effective empathetic statements. While they can not completely substitute for the realism of the human experience, simulation technology is a step forward in health care education and effective learning methodologies.
Simulation Manikin Examples
The company Laerdal, founded in 1940 and headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, produces a number of Simulation Manikin products. These Simulation Manikins vary based on age, gender and other factors which help learners to understand the specific needs of different types of patients. Included in their simulation products on the market are the SimMan, SimMom, SimJunior, SimNewB, Premature Anne and SimBaby Classic.
First, SimMan is an advanced Simulation Manikin that can display neurological symptoms as well as physiological symptoms. The product is simple to operate and features innovative technology, such as automatic drug recognition. Emergency services and military organisations often utilize SimMan based on the product’s adapted training for rapid assessment of trauma emergencies.
Alternatively, SimMom is an advanced full body birthing Simulation Manikin that comes equipped with accurate anatomy. This product provides learners with the functionality to facilitate multi-professional obstetric training of birth management, with both manual and automatic delivery modes. This technology is important because the simulation helps learners understand how to make quick decisions during childbirth, which can ultimately mean the difference between life and death scenarios.
Then, SimJunior is an interactive pediatric Simulation Manikin, designed by Laerdal with the American Academy of Pediatrics to ensure that the product meets the education and training needs of healthcare providers. SimJunior delivers a realistic, full-body simulator for pediatric emergencies, and closely represents the body of a 6-year-old boy. The simulation product allows learners to focus on a broad range of pediatric skills in order to gain exposure and practical experience of life-threatening pediatric problems.
Simulating a newborn, SimNewB is a tetherless Simulation Manikin, also co-created with the American Academy of Pediatrics. This product is designed to help improve neonatal resuscitation and to meet the specific learning objectives of neonatal resuscitation protocols. Focusing on the first 10 minutes of life, SimNewB provides realistic training for critical interventions, such as lung recruitment maneuvers and advanced airway management.
Premature Anne helps learners understand how to specifically provide car to a premature infant. Realistically proportioned as a 25-week preterm Simulation Manikin, Premature Anne is designed to facilitate the training of healthcare professionals in the initiation of proper care and resuscitation of preterm infants.
Lastly, SimBaby is another advanced infant Simulation Manikin that is ideal for training in all aspects of infant care. With realistic anatomy and clinical functionality, SimBaby is suitable for all types of training – from routine care to critical emergencies. This Simulation Manikin allows learners to assess capillary refill times, test pupillary light reflexes, check bilateral pulses and more.
As children and infants can have much different physiological responses to trauma as compared to teens and adults, learning how to effectively recognize and respond to respiratory emergencies, shock and cardiopulmonary arrest in these patients is imperative. Together, these Simulation Manikins are helping learners to improve healthcare providers’ abilities to respond more confidently to all clinical, nursing and emergency situations.
