Donors raise $35,000 to fund interactive simulator
As a Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Instructor at Prairie Ridge Health (PRH), Cathy Bolan, RNC, is responsible for ensuring that the PRH obstetrics and newborn care team have the knowledge, skills, and training they need to provide resuscitation skills for newborns and infants at a moment’s notice.
Until now, that training involved a low fidelity manikin, which required the instructor to tell the students the heart rate, whether the manikin was breathing, and other vitals. But in July of 2022, the CAE Luna wireless infant simulator, purchased with funds donated to the PRH Foundation, offered the PRH team what Bolan calls “a game changer.”
“The Luna manikin coughs, breaths, its cheeks turn blue. It has seizures. It has a heartbeat.” she explained. “With just a traditional manikin, the student would wait for me to say what the baby’s vitals were or what scenario was happening to the infant.”
“Now, the students actually listen for breathing and heart rate and respond accordingly. The student needs to be 100% aware and at the ready. The student must use their skills which will reflect theLuna manikin’s outcome.”
The 8-pound interactive completely wireless manikin offers a complete range of options for training in the care and medical treatment of a neonate in crisis. Luna represents a baby from birth to 28 days after delivery. During training, Bolan uses a wireless handheld tablet to control the Luna’s vitals and create scenarios so students may assess and treat theLuna in a realistic drill. All drills are held in the obstetrics unit so that the crash cart, intubation supplies and other equipment are at hand as it would be in a real birth.
“The Luna is able to respond to our interventions,” said Rachel Svendsen, Women’s and Childbirth Services Manager at PRH. “Research says that 10% of babies will require some resuscitation when they are born and 1% will require more extensive resuscitation.”
“Our team has always been trained in newborn resuscitation skills, but the Luna provides us with more realistic training and takes our skills to a new level, so we are even more prepared to care for our smallest patients.”
According to Bolan, one of three Luna instructors at PRH, typically two to four healthcare team members train on the Luna as a team. If the care team member is new to NRP, individual training is provided. She said comments about the Luna have been very positive. “The healthcare team likes that they can actually hear a heartbeat, see if the baby is cyanotic, listen to a variety of different lung sounds and heart sounds.”
100% of the OB nurses and newborn providers at PRH have trained on the Luna. Bolan continues to lead quarterly drills and which include the Emergency Room care team, house supervisors, and the anesthesia team. NRP certifications must be renewed every two years. In addition, travel nurses and those from other healthcare facilities have been training on the Luna at PRH.
“No other rural facility in our area has a training manikin at this level,” said Kristi Line, Executive Director of the PRH Foundation,“and with PRH having a record number of births last year, the Foundation is excited to provide this state-of-the-art training equipment for the team.
Thank you to all of our 2022 Toasts and Tastes and Golf Classic participants and private donors who assisted us in raising $35,000 to purchase the Luna which will help our team save the newest of lives.”
Learn more about our OB team.
