Tell Me Where It Hurts

New patient simulators give CNHS students valuable clinical exercises

The College of Nursing and Health Science (CNHS) has three new patients, and they have every symptom imaginable. Each is a SimMan, a full-sized, computer-controlled human patient simulator. The sophisticated manikins recently became residents of the Toups Clinical Simulation Laboratories at George Mason and will help the CNHS initiative to create a Center for Excellence in Clinical Teaching.

Manufactured by the Nordic company Laerdal, SimMan is as close to real as a manikin can get. He talks, breathes, coughs, moans, and, yes, even makes gastric sounds. Each SimMan has adaptive equipment for a male or a female anatomy and replicates many physiological functions to help students learn both basic and advanced practice skills for patient care. Attached to a laptop computer and air compressor that provides remarkably lifelike breathing, SimMan is controlled by a computer application that allows faculty members to program clinical scenarios. Nursing students can then practice important skills on SimMan before moving on to real patients.

While working with the manikin in simulations, students may encounter the manikin lying quietly in bed, moaning, eyes closed. His chart might say he has diabetes and had been admitted for elective thyroid surgery, scheduled for that morning. But why is he moaning? Has he encountered some complication that might affect his surgical risk?

After the student asks the SimMan whether he is in any pain, he might answer, “My chest is tight. I feel like I can't get my breath.” Guided by their instructor, the students would then begin a complex set of interventions to assess the status of SimMan and make important decisions to protect his safety. Many manikins can help teach individual skills, but SimMan provides an integrated experience for students and faculty that allows them to think together about how to provide safe and effective patient care.

The manikins cost approximately $30,000 each and were purchased through private contributions. The college is conducting a contest to name the three simulators and will host an open house in late October to showcase them and announce the winning names.