Jan. 16, 2008

ATTENTION EDITORS – YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND A DEMONSTRATION OF THE NEW HIGH-TECH PATIENT SIMULATOR TO BE USED IN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE NURSING CLASSES AT SCC. CHOOSE A TIME MOST CONVENIENT FOR YOU (SEE TIMES BELOW). CALL US FOR MORE INFORMATION.

‘STAN THE MANNEQUIN’ IS A HIT IN COLLEGE NURSING LAB
Computerized Patient Simulator Provides Lifelike Training for Students

They named him Stan, and he’s the man – or mannequin – in demand in the new nursing lab at St. Charles Community College.  When spring semester classes start Jan. 21, Stan will be on deck to score big as a computerized teacher for all levels of nursing students working on their associate’s degrees.

The college’s nursing department is offering demonstrations of Stan’s teaching skills in several sessions on Friday, Jan. 18, which are open to the public. The demonstrations will be held at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and noon in the third floor nursing lab of the Administration Building on campus, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville.

The official name of this computerized patient simulator is Emergency Care Simulator (ECS). The ECS provides an anatomically correct, feature-rich mannequin that allows for the physical demonstration of various clinical signs including breathing, blinking eyes, blood pressure, bowel sounds, pulses, bleeding, and more.

Stan the mannequin responds to medications and other clinical scenarios, thereby delivering a realistic and objective training ground for learners to practice and perfect their patient care skills without risk to real patients, according to SCC nursing faculty. The simulator mannequin is operated by computer software offering various case studies or scenarios for student learning and practice.

“This direct application has an important role in today’s nurse education,” said Patricia Porterfield, dean of math, science, and health at SCC. “It enhances critical thinking and better prepares our students to enter their clinical training in area hospitals. The new simulator will allow us to keep current with trends in nursing education.”

The mannequin is manufactured by Medical Education Technologies, Inc., of Sarasota, Fla.  The cost was approximately $75,000, which includes the software applications. Three-fourths of the cost was covered through the federal Perkins Grant program that supports the education of students in high-demand career fields. The college picked up the other one-fourth of the cost. Stan is housed in the newly renovated nursing lab on the third floor of the Administration Building.

Faculty and students love the realistic simulation that Stan provides, said Mary VanNoord, nursing faculty member who coordinates the ECS learning program. “We have had some less sophisticated simulation-type models that were big hits with students, and everyone who has seen this even more high-tech model is amazed by what can be accomplished,” VanNoord said. “It coordinates so well with our classroom instruction. When students are using the simulator, we can stop the program mid-stream and investigate the problems. That’s something that can’t be done when students advance to actual clinical training in the hospitals. It’s a great teaching tool.”

St. Charles Community College is a major provider of health care professionals for St. Charles County and surrounding area. Since 1988, the college has graduated 475 practical nursing students and 1,100 students in the associate’s degree nursing program. Nursing graduates at SCC often surpass state and national norms on R.N. licensure exams.

For more information about nursing and allied health programs at St. Charles Community College, contact the Counseling Office at 636-922-8241.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Emergency Care Simulator  (ECS) Web site –  http://www.meti.com/products_ps_ecs.htm

Patricia Porterfield, dean of math, science, and health – 636-922-8281
Mary Van Noord, simulation lab coordinator – 636-922-8743

Koreen Smiley, director of nursing – 636-922-8282

Photos and Cutlines

Back To News

Content Owner: Winnie Stufflebam — wstufflebam@stchas.edu
Page Maintained by: Alexandra Smith
Last Updated: 1/16/08