Practice makes perfect, but in the healthcare field there's not much room for error. The growing field of high-fidelity patient simulators is helping care providers prepare for emergencies in relatively low-stress environments. Regional Health is adding a new model to its simulation program: an obstetric unit that simulates childbirth. SDPB's Jackie Hendry reports.
The new OB unit is the latest in a series of simulation equipment provided by a grant through the Helmsley Charitable Trust. The simulator looks like a human woman with a pregnant abdomen. A baby can be placed inside and repositioned depending on the type of birth simulation.
Shaye Krcil is the nurse practice consultant for Regional Health. She says the unit can simulate a typical birth as well as a variety of complications.
"Maybe a shoulder dystocia, or a premature delivery. It can simulate postpartum hemorrhaging or bleeding which is one of the most significant complications we deal with after a woman delivers," explains Krcil.
Krcil says the simulation can also replicate problems that occur earlier in pregnancy, like high blood pressure. She says this equipment gives healthcare providers a chance to prepare themselves for a situation they may only encounter once a year.
"They can practice interventions and care for those patients without it being the real situation, which is obviously a lot higher stress," says Krcil.
Regional Health is hosting an open house to give community members a chance to see the new equipment in action. That's in Rapid City Hospital's East Auditorium from 4-5 Thursday night.
