A Nursing Kid Simulator is a skills-based, child-sized manikin designed to train nursing students for the care and management of a variety of pediatric patients. The simulator represents a 6-year-old child and will allow students to practice numerous skills, including IV insertion, tracheal and nasogastric suctioning and wound assessment, among others.
The current pediatrics manikin at the University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing, known as Pedia, has several cords that connect to a control panel to program various scenarios and can be used only in the simulation lab. Nursing Kid, on the other hand, is a standalone manikin that is portable and controlled by a computer tablet.
“We want our faculty to be able to bring simulation-type experiences into the classroom,” said Dr. Megan Lippe, assistant professor and simulation specialist at the Capstone College of Nursing. “The new simulator will provide us more teaching flexibility and opportunities with our students.”
Being able to provide ample training opportunities for those who want to go into pediatric care is vital because many pediatric units limit what nursing students can do during clinical rotations. Nursing Kid will allow UA nursing students to hone their skills before joining the workforce.
“Pediatrics is a very specialized field,” said Jessica Johnson, clinical instructor at the Capstone College of Nursing. “While a lot of the skills translate from adults to children, the way they are implemented is very different. I feel that Nursing Kid is going to allow our students to experience that and prepare them for what they will see in the future.”
According to Johnson, about one-third of each nursing class wants to pursue a career in pediatric care. One key advantage of Nursing Kid is that it will allow more students to cycle through to practice various skills.
“Nursing Kid is designed for rapid-fire clinical techniques and it will allow us repeat skills for multiple students,” Johnson said.
The Capstone College of Nursing capitalized on a recent Universitywide crowdfunding event called Bama Blitz to help raise money to purchase Nursing Kid to meet the needs of nursing students. Dean Suzanne Prevost was thrilled with the support shown to the Capstone College of Nursing during Bama Blitz.
“We were seeking to raise $6,500 for the Nursing Kid Simulator, but were excited that individuals also supported various areas that interested them,” she said. “Now, not only will CCN be able to purchase a new pediatric simulator, but the college will also benefit in numerous additional ways because of the generosity of our donors.”
This story originally appeared on the University of Alabama’s website.
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)
