Sanford Children’s Hospital Highlights Highly-Realistic Simulation Training Tool

The equipment is funded by donations from the Children's Miracle Network

FARGO, N.D. — A simulation training tool at Sanford Children’s Hospital is about as close as you can get to the real thing.

The doll used is so realistic that it moves, breathes, and even cries.

“It’s nice to see babies like this who do react. Sometimes I feel like we’re just getting told vitals and we’re making up the assessment in a way,” Erin Mackenthun, RN, said.

People doing the simulation practice resuscitating a baby having a hard time breathing. Nurses are monitored by a supervisor outside of the room.

“One of the biggest things staff is going to say in an education is, ‘well in real life, I would know because the baby would do this. Or in real life, this is how it would be,’ so the closer we can put it to real life, then they don’t have that excuse,” Deb Smith, RN clinical educator, said.

Trainings are usually done monthly depending on which unit staff members work in.

“The more we practice and can do this, the more when it does happen in real life, we can just react and not think about it so much,” Deb Emo, RN, said.

Reacting in the right way is essential in a life–threatening situation.

“Fight, flight, or freeze. Doing things like this helps me not have the reaction to freeze because that’s really easy to do when you see a baby or infant needing help,” Mackenthun said.

The equipment is funded with donations from the Children’s Miracle Network.

Nurses say the tool makes training a lot more bearable.

“Staff used to run. They’d be like, ‘oh gosh here they are to do this,’ and now since they have the simulation and the increased technology, they actually want to be part of it, and they come in and want that education,” Smith said.

Sanford is showing off the equipment ahead of Children’s Hospitals Week, which starts Monday.

The week is designed to raise awareness for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.