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Nursing Students Find Mannequin Is No Dummy

Grossmont Community College and two local health care organizations pooled $162,500 in funds to buy a state-of-the- art-patient: A life-sized mannequin that can mimic real-life health problems.

The computerized Human Patient Simulator can imitate a pulse, breathing, signs and symptoms of disease and responds to medicine like a real human being, said Elisabeth Hamel, associate dean of health professions at Grossmont College in El Cajon.

“It can be used by beginning students in the nursing program to feel the pulse and catheterize patients and advanced students to do advanced cardiac life support and respiratory therapy students to intubate the mannequin,” Hamel said.

Instructors program the mannequin via a desktop or handheld computer to simulate a patient of a certain age, sex and weight.

Students respond to real crisis scenarios, such as diabetic coma, septic shock and congestive heart failure by administering medicine and performing procedures.

A total of 180 nursing students and 30 respiratory students will benefit from the equipment, Hamel said.

The nursing staff of Kaiser Permanente and Scripps-Mercy , which contributed $25,000 each , will also benefit through advanced training.

The mannequin, made by Sarasota, Fla.-based Medical Education Technologies Inc., will visit Grossmont College in May, Hamel said.

Only one other community college , Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa , has similar equipment Hamel said.

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