Nursing department practices

By Robin Gann

April 2, 2010 No Comments

“I’m feeling much better now,” said ‘Otto,’ the new human patient simulator. Western’s nursing department recently purchased a new human patient simulator tool. On March 25, the department held an open house to showcase the learning tools and the skills of the students in the department.

Several prospective nursing students attended the nursing open house in which the students displayed their knowledge on the department’s practice patients including the newest and most expensive Otto.

Otto, the latest tool in the nursing department’s tool belt, is a mannequin that is able to replicate real life patient situations. According to the brochure, Otto is able to run 60 different preprogrammed, simulated clinical experiences with 30 different preprogrammed patient profiles.

The newest HPS also comes with programs so that the proctor is able to write their own clinical situations and manipulate preexisting programs even while the simulation is running.

Otto is also able to perform a variety of bodily functions such as seizing, blinking, and even responding to meds, said Roger Voelkel, RN, Assistant Professor.
Voelkel said that while Otto is the newest he is not the only HPS in the nursing department. The department has a wide variety of simulators including an intensive care patient, an infant, and a woman named Noelle who is capable of giving birth.

With all that these mannequins can do it is easy to understand why they are so expensive. Noelle cost $13,500 and Otto cost $65,000.
However, $30,000 of Otto’s cost was covered by an anonymous donation earmarked for the nursing department said chairperson Kathleen O’Connor, Ph.D and R.N., enabling the department to finally make a purchase they have been working towards for years.

The cost of these tools is well warranted with all that they are able to accomplish.

“Applied learning is a hallmark of Missouri Western,” O’Connor said. “Not only do they teach valuable skills to the students but it also instills them with confidence.”

With these HPS, students are able to see how their actions affect the patient without any harm coming to a real person.

Suzanne Von Behren, a senior nursing student agrees with O’Connor.

“It’s more real (than the others) and gives you feedback just like a real patient would,” she said.

Von Behren was in charge of showcasing Otto at the open house running a simulation where the mannequin simulated breathing problems. Von Behren was able to get Otto’s oxygen level to a healthy and normal level prompting the HPS to thank her claiming he was feeling much better.