Computerized patients bolster clinicians’ training at Franciscan St. Francis Health

Hospital’s Simulation Center slated for Oct. 20 open house

GREENWOOD, Ind. – They breathe and their hearts beat. They make sounds and their eyes blink. They may be mannequins, but make no mistake about it – these patients are no mere dummies when it comes to educating clinicians at Franciscan St. Francis Health.

The hospital’s newly opened Simulation Center uses human-like mannequins – male and female, adult and infant alike – to advance the training of physicians, nurses and other medical specialists. These computerized patients can be programmed to simulate a variety of routine and complicated medical situations. 

“This is a realistic, safe and effective way to teach us how to better care for our patients,” said Lorie Nagy, RN, who coordinates the simulation training at the hospital’s Health Education and Support Services Center (ESSC). “This technology is helping to improve health outcomes.”

Watch a training session/news report HERE

The ESSC, located at 421 N. Emerson Ave., Greenwood, will unveil its Simulation Center’s operations to interested staff and the public at an open house from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 20.

At the open house, guests can tour four health care settings featuring the lifelike patient simulators, enjoy hands-on opportunities checking for a pulse or heartbeat and watch full simulations of lifesaving events from the debriefing rooms. Information on community education classes, door prizes and giveaways and refreshments will all be available.

The center’s four simulation areas include an intensive care unit room, an emergency/physician exam room, a surgical/procedural suite, and a labor and delivery/neonatal intensive care room. Simulation scenarios can be preprogrammed to suit the learning needs and instructor-based objectives achieved through collaboration with the Simulation Center team.

“The scenarios can offer valuable, structured learning experiences that are difficult to obtain in real life,” Nagy said, “Encountering rare, life-threatening patient conditions within a safe setting promotes confidence and improved critical thinking skills for a safer patient care environment.”

Educators evaluate how RNs are caring for a high-risk newborn.

Debriefing rooms provide a live or taped video feed to discuss and review the scenarios with instructors and clinical staff.

This type of training began a few years ago at Franciscan St. Francis when it acquired newborn and mother mannequins for its obstetrical units at the Indianapolis and Mooresville campuses. The devices simulates breathing and heart rate (mother and fetal), blood flow, urine output and other vitals and can be fitted for IV and intubated to assist breathing. It 

They can be programmed for normal vaginal, multiple and C-section deliveries and post-delivery care.

This "patient" is about to undergo treatment in the ICU.

Hospital educators wanted to extend that training into other clinical areas and serve as a benefit to the community. As a result, the Simulation Center also has been collaborating with local extended-care facilities to enhance their staffs’ training.

For more information on the Franciscan St. Francis Health Simulation Center and the open house, please contact the education department at 317-528-3270. 

Mother and baby take a snooze after a training scenario.

This patient simulator is about to undergo a
procedure with attending physicians.