In pain, a man clutches his chest and falls to the ground because his narrowed arteries restrict the flow of blood to the heart. His organs shut down while going into sudden cardiac arrest and he dies.
This is one of the many high-pressure scenarios medical professionals encounter every day that can now be replicated on simulators. The simulators serve to better prepare students for real-life patient care.
"We can pretty much replicate anything," said Scott Erdley, a clinical associate professor in the School of Nursing. "We can create experiences that would normally happen in a hospital room without worrying about the patient."
Simulators are available to students at the UB medical school and the School of Nursing. The simulators, in mannequin form, are able to replicate emergencies, in addition to recreating routine medical procedures. They can be programmed and respond to nearly all experiences doctor and nurses encounter regularly.
Currently, Erdley is the only professor able to run the program, creating each scenario based on his knowledge of the medical field, and execute the procedures using his knowledge of computers.
"There is no better way to learn," said Angelica Szafranski, a senior nursing student. "You are actually linking what you learn to an experience."
According to Szafranski, working with the simulator gives her more confidence while working with her clinical patients.
UB purchased its first computerized patient, "Homer," in 1996. Still in operation, Erdley says that Homer will be receiving upgrades soon so he will not burn out.
Homer has recently acquired two new friends, "Anne" and "Peter," and with the new simulators Homer will be able to last longer. With a $200,000 investment per mannequin, the School of Nursing now has four simulators available to students.
Anne and Peter, although not as advanced as Homer and Sammy, will play a big role in the School of Nursing, allowing students more experiences with the simulators.
Erdley takes pride in the fact that UB was one of the first schools in the country to attain a control room with their simulators. With a control room, professors are able to create and watch students working. Scenarios are filmed for students to learn from after the procedure ends.
"Students get really into it," Erdley said. "I've noticed them start to breath heavy and experience sweaty palms."
In addition to simulating real emergency situations, these simulators react to different medications the same way a patient would. Mannequins are also able to undergo sex changes by swapping genitals to replicate procedures such as epidurals, or even delivery.
Mannequins are given voices to enhance the genuine state of the experience, and are able to speak and even oppose what is being done to them. For example, in a recent scenario Erdley made the patient oppose an emergency c-section.
Students get at least one simulation every semester and wish that it could be a bigger part of their curriculum.
Senior nursing student, Brian Regan, has used Homer four times in five different scenarios.
"I wish we had it more," Regan said. "It truly is nursing at its best."
Regan believes the high energy of the scenarios keeps students on their feet, and forces the students to think fast. In his experience, simulators reaffirm a student's confidence in their own capabilities.
"I love how we are given a situation that cannot be slowed down," Regan said. "My personal favorite was the cardiac arrest. It felt good when we saved him."
According to Regan, awkwardness when using simulators fades fast, and students quickly come to see the mannequins as real people, and the situations as true matters of life and death.
The props located in the rooms of these simulators hold a big part in making the scenarios real. A "Please wear gloves," sign on the wall and the sound of breathing, dilating pupils and an actual heartbeat create the feel of a real emergency room. Simulators breathe just as a real patient would, which can result in real danger for the patient if students don't react quickly.
Just as the simulators have been improving the quality of education in the nursing program, it is expected that the same will be done at the medical school. Erdley believes the simulators will certainly improve the curriculum and hopes that the dental school will get the opportunity as well.
"Medicine is a team effort," Erdley said. "I hope that medical, dental, and nursing could collaborate and learn from each other, creating the best education possible."
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
