A PRIVATE TRUST
enhances
NURSING EDUCATION
WHEN A MEDICAL EMERGENCY HAPPENS, HOSPITAL STAFF MUST BE
PREPARED. AT WILCOX MEDICAL CENTER, MANIKINS ARE PROVING TO BE
THE ANSWER. THE LIFE-SIZE MODELS OF HUMANS ARE THE NEXT BEST
THING TO WORKING ON A REAL PERSON. THE COMPUTERIZED SIMULATOR MANIKINS ARE ALREADY GIVING NURSES ON KAUA‘I CONFIDENCE TO
HANDLE SITUATIONS THEY MAY HAVE ONLY SEEN IN TEXTBOOKS.
“We recently did a trauma simulation
“Using manikins in clinical simulations
and we utilized the emergency room
allows staff to ‘practice on plastic’
staff who don’t typically get their
first,” Jaeda said. “It’s important that
hands on some of the equipment
we have these scenarios because on
this drill called for,” said clinical nurse
average Wilcox delivers 600 babies
educator Paula Hulme. “The staff
a year. With the SimMom we will be
expressed how invaluable of a lesson
able to train our nurses on varying
it was to have a pulse or no pulse on
complications so that we can be ready
the simulator. It gave exposure to a
for whatever we are faced with.”
procedure that is so rare for them.”
Nursing education at work on Sim Manikin
The SimMom will be part of a new
Soon Wilcox nurses will be able to
simulation lab the Wilcox Health
prepare for other emergencies. The
Foundation is hoping to build in the
hospital recently received a $55,466
hospital with more funding from the
grant from the Antone & Edene
community. If all goes as planned,
Vidinha Charitable Trust for a Sim-
the new lab will be completed by the
Mom, a simulation manikin that trains
beginning of next year. A large room
people for high-risk birth situations.
will hold a group of simulators includ-
As the only hospital on Kaua‘i, Wilcox
ing a pregnant mother, a newborn and
does not handle high-risk births every
a male patient so the staff can gather
day. The state-of-the-art technology
around beds and practice in-the-mo-
will allow hospital staff to experience
ment medical decisions in real time.
simulated births, birthing in different
positions, cutting the umbilical cord,
automobile accident trauma and other
various complications of pregnancy.
“I think it’s really exciting to have our
own dedicated space,” says clinical
nurse educator Paula. “There are
times when we are trying to work
Nursing manager Jaeda Elvenia is
around available patient rooms that
confident this new resource will in-
if needed, force us to cancel training.
crease the quality of nursing
This lab will allow us to maintain our
education.
realistic treatments without worrying
about losing our space.”
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