A mannequin that can breathe, cry, give birth and even scream.
It may seem like a setting for a horror movie, but instead it’s a lab at the Capital Region BOCES Adult Health Careers Center and it is helping to educate the next generation of healthcare workers in the Capital Region.
Students in the adult Practical Nursing program are getting their first experiences in the BOCES’ state-of-the-art simulation (Sims) lab.
The lab provides students with an opportunity to interact with the mannequins, whose vital signs, breathing sounds, speech and even birthing functions are controlled by an instructor behind a two-way mirror.
Director of Health Careers & Services Louise Bigando says the new lab will better prepare students for the challenging yet rewarding field of nursing, sharing that “the Sims Lab provides a realistic setting for students to apply learned skills and knowledge. They are excited and engaged while experiencing extremely valuable lessons in a safe environment that allows the opportunity for mistakes while building confidence along with their critical thinking skills.”
Students said they appreciate the opportunities afforded by the Sims lab.
“It’s cool because it gives us actual scenarios and settings, breath sounds, lung sounds, cardiac sounds, that you can respond to,” said Natahja Epps, an Adult Practical Nursing student from Schenectady.
Classmate Alisha Johnson echoed that sentiment.
“The Sims lab gives us scenarios we may not see in clinicals and gives us experiences we can build off when we get into the field,” she said.
Epps and Johnson are among approximately 120 students enrolled in the full-time Adult Practical Nursing (PN) program this year. The program encompasses 1,100 hours of classroom and clinical study and prepares students to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and then apply to become a New York State Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).
Students started class in September and will graduate in June.