November Health Matters: High-Tech Simulators Let Nebraska Health Professionals Hone Their Skills

Use of simulation technology in health care dates back about two decades. 

Simulation center rooms, hallways and equipment replicate what students and fully fledged health professionals will see in hospitals and homes. They're occupied by lifelike mannequins that can say words, suffer heart attacks and deliver babies. Caregivers can give the mannequins CPR, inject medications into them and intubate them. 

The mannequins used in simulation are becoming ever more realistic, which adds a level of realism to the practice, said Colleen Steinhauser, coordinator of the simulation lab at Nebraska Methodist College. Students can inject a medication and see vital signs change. The college shares with Methodist Women's Hospital a newborn mannequin that can grunt, cry and move its arms and legs. If she's not getting enough oxygen, a blue LED comes on, tingeing her skin blue.

Omaha World-Herald: November Health Matters: High-Tech Simulators Let Nebraska Health Professionals Hone Their Skills