This text is part of the special Research section
He breathes, he displays a pulse, he can even sweat. Yet he does not have the gift of life. Mr. Maurice is a sophisticated medical dummy, said to be high-fidelity, because his behavior is uncompromisingly realistic. Mr. Maurice now resides in a laboratory of the Health Sciences Teaching and Research Unit at the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). This is the SimMan 3G PLUS model from Laerdal Medical, a Norwegian company specializing in this technology, and the basic model, without options, costs $80,000.
“We received it last November, explains Joséanne Desrosiers, Assistant Professor of Nursing Sciences, and it is the most recent model on the market, and therefore also the most sophisticated. We use it as a training tool in nursing sciences and in particular in the field of critical care, those found in the emergency room, intensive care or recovery room. »
This medical manikin includes many functions. You can auscultate it and hear the beating of the heart and the breathing of the lungs. We can intubate him, because he has a larynx. Infusions can also be installed, and he can receive and react to medication. “All his joints work exactly like those of a human, you can even sit him down, continues Joséanne Desrosiers, and the texture of his skin is so realistic that it is impressive. »
The manikin is controlled by Wi-Fi link from a tablet or a computer. Its programming contains a host of medical issues that the model can faithfully reproduce. For example, it can be programmed to simulate a cardiac arrest, which requires the provision of critical care, such as defibrillation. All the treatments performed and the instruments used are exactly those that one would find in a clinical situation.
And we can even kill him! “In a clinical situation, underlines Joséanne Desrosiers, despite the quality of the protocols and procedures, it happens that a patient still escapes. Mr. Maurice allows us to bring this first bereavement to life within the framework of a laboratory. »
Educational tool
This dummy is a tool, certainly sophisticated, but above all educational. “You have to prepare the students and let them familiarize themselves with the model,” says Joséanne Desrosiers. It is only once this acclimatization is complete that the simulations can begin. And these simulations are always aligned with the particular university program of the students. »
The simulations always take place according to the same method: there is first a simulation and context before the students are called upon to make their intervention, according to the protocols and procedures appropriate to the simulated situation. And since clinical care is generally team-based, groups of three to five people participate in the intervention. Once everything is finished, there is a debriefing phase.
In a clinical situation, despite the quality of the protocols and procedures, it still happens that a patient escapes. Mr. Maurice allows us to bring this first bereavement to life within the framework of a laboratory.
“The debriefing is extremely important, continues Joséanne Desrosiers. First, it offers participants a retrospection of the actions they have taken. Moreover, the intervention is filmed and made available to them. But then, the debriefing makes sure that the participants decompress, because the situations experienced are stressful. Even if it’s a model, no one wants to make mistakes. »
Objectives and results
What are the objectives pursued with the use of this educational tool? “First, I would say that it is a question of reducing the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical experience, specifies Joséanne Desrosiers. But perhaps most importantly, it helps to better develop clinical judgment, which is essential for making sound decisions about the care to be given in a given medical situation. »
And the results? “They are more than convincing, says Joséanne Desrosiers. Nurses who have been trained with the high-fidelity manikin come into the clinic better prepared, less anxious and intimidated, and more knowledgeable about their role in a particular clinical care situation. There are many studies in the scientific literature that have demonstrated this. »