New Simulation Man offers real-life training

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Clinical nurse specialist Mary Gniady (right) demonstrates CPR on the Laerdal Simulation Man during the Simulation Lab open house at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet on Wednesday. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media

Updated: January 24, 2012 8:15AM

JOLIET — Mary Gniady did not know the name of the man she rescued Wednesday. As an advanced practice nurse, she had a job to do, and she quickly went to work.

“I am alive!” the man responded excitedly after Gniady performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Actually, she still does not know the man’s name. That will have to wait.

Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center has a new lab with a high-tech Simulation Man, a lifelike human figure that breathes, sweats and responds realistically to nursing care.

The mannequin, designed for education and training purposes, has digitally controlled vital signs. Nurses can observe the readings — and sometimes see and feel results — as his condition changes. After Gniady’s successful rescue, she heard the results from him loud and clear.

With this training, nurses can perfect skills before having to perform certain procedures on human beings.

In 2010, the medical center received a federal grant of about $750,000, which helped purchase the Laerdal SimMan 3G simulator and other components for the new Clinical Education and Simulation Lab.

“Our nurses can practice that whole patient experience, just as it would be in a real patient room,” said Debbi Del Re, manager of professional nursing practice at the medical center.

The medical center held an open house this week at the second-floor clinical education lab. All staff members were invited, and there was high interest from 7:30 a.m. clear to the later afternoon.

Simulation Man

Karen Blum, an advanced practice nurse at the medical center and coordinator of the simulation lab, demonstrated how the mannequin can breathe, blink, cry, sweat, bleed, cough, groan and talk. It can shake, as if suffering a seizure. And it has nasal and ear secretions, which are used to simulate head injuries.

Staff in training can give the man medication. If they do something wrong, his condition will deteriorate accordingly. If they perform the proper procedures, his condition will improve.

On Wednesday, nurses demonstrated the application of a bag valve mask to the man’s mouth, which helps oxygenation.

Nurses can take the man’s blood pressure and pulse. Once again, they must use proper procedures, because the man knows his own blood pressure and will indicate if the nurse’s reading is off.

The man also “bleeds” water. The nurse applies direct pressure, and the bleeding stops.

The high-tech figure can simulate several life-threatening medical emergencies, such as an asthma attack, cardiac arrest or trauma.

There also are low-tech figures, partial mannequins, that will help train nurses in properly giving injections, nasal gastric tube insertion, colostomy care, and urinary catheterizations.

Future uses

The simulator will be located in the second-floor clinical education lab, but it has the capability of being mobilized to anywhere in the medical center for training.

The advanced life support class will be using the simulator in January.

As part of the transition into practice program, new graduate nurses will use the Simulation Man to help develop their skills and confidence.

In the future, the medical center hopes to be able to partner with other providers in the community and offer the Simulation Man for other learning activities.

And what about his name? The medical center is holding a contest to give its Simulation Man a nickname. Some thought will be required, because if Wednesday’s demonstration was any indication, he has a great personality.