Northern Health has recently welcomed SimMan Critical Care as the latest addition to its simulation family.
Purchased through the NCHER Partnership, comprising La Trobe University, the University of Melbourne and Northern Health, SimMan Critical Care will provide students and staff with the opportunity to participate in high-fidelity respiratory simulations, allowing them to develop and refine both basic and advanced respiratory care skills.
SimMan Critical Care is similar to our existing SimMan 3G Plus, which was purchased in 2023, but offers enhanced respiratory capabilities. Inside his chest are two pneumatic cylinders that realistically simulate the function of human lungs. Yes, SimMan Critical Care actually breathes. It is capable of replicating a wide range of respiratory conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial lung disease, to name just a few.
SimMan Critical Care can be managed using basic and advanced airway manoeuvres, bag-valve-mask ventilation, non-invasive and invasive ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), and anaesthetic interventions. He can also be utilised as a standardised patient when training clinicians in the use of ventilators, BiPAP and CPAP devices, and anaesthetic machines.
Recently, a small group of clinicians representing the three partner organisations participated in a two-day training workshop delivered by Laerdal, the manufacturer of SimMan Critical Care. Participants provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the experience.
“SimMan Critical Care provides a high-fidelity simulation experience that closely replicates real clinical conditions. For nursing students at La Trobe University, this realism supports the translation of theory into safe clinical practice. It was valuable to explore how to make the most of this excellent equipment to maximise student learning and clinical skill development,” said Loren Tong, Lecturer, La Trobe University.
“The SimMan Critical Care session was invaluable. It was great to see and interact with the new equipment and share ideas on how to integrate it into my teaching,” said Katia Forbes, Procedural Skills Teaching Specialist, University of Melbourne.
“I think this new addition to our existing simulation family will allow us to explore and practise more skills in preparation for the real clinical world,” added Navneet Grewal, Subject Coordinator, Nursing, La Trobe University.
Northern Health is extremely fortunate to have access to this innovative resource. SimMan Critical Care is suitable for training undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as staff from all departments, including ward-based and specialty areas.
To learn more about integrating SimMan Critical Care into your education and training programs, please contact the Northern Health Simulation via email: simulation@nh.org.au or 0418 457 310.
Pictured (L-R): Julia Layer, Jan Thomas, Katia Forbes, Navneet Grewal, Loren Tong, Eloise Williams, Charan Baweja with the new SimMan Critical Care.