KAMLOOPS — At TRU’s School of Nursing, it’s important to be able to prepare students for the rigours and demands of the health care industry. Today, the School showed off their newest training aid – a lifelike birthing simulator – designed to give their students an edge when it comes to finding a job.
Birth is a miraculous event, but sometimes, when faced with the reality of a child emerging from the womb, things can get… real. In a hurry.
“This particular area of nursing, just the maternity piece, often provokes a lot of anxiety,” Dr. Florriann Fehr explained. “Many [students] haven’t seen a baby being born before. They haven’t gone through the process themselves. There’s a lot of unknowns and uncertainty.”
Which is why Thompson Rivers University was excited to show off their newest training aid today. Meet Victoria. She’s is a full-sized, high-fidelity training mannequin, who breathes, blinks, and will let you know how she’s feeling. She’s also about to give birth to her baby.
“It was very exciting and very realistic,” Fourth Year Nursing Student Jenny Sage said. “I’ve only ever seen one live before, and this comes pretty close.”
Sage says this new training tool is going to provide students with one important trait as they head out into real world situations.
“Confidence – this tool provides all students with an opportunity to experience a live birth, any complications… and assessment skills, and the opportunity to practice… and become confident before heading into the clinical areas.”
From an instructional standpoint, Dr. Fehr says this new simulator adds so much to what the TRU School of Nursing can now offer.
Kamloops philanthropist Ken Lepin donated the $120,000 to purchase the simulator.
