EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — A new mother lies on a hospital bed inside the DeNike Center for Human Services as nursing students at East Stroudsburg University evaluate her.
But these aren't real patients. They're life-like manikins used to give students realistic learning experiences.
The manikins are a part of the new Dale and Frances Hughes Foundation Community Health Education and Simulation Center on campus.
"Patient contacts and the care them is crucial to any nursing or any health sciences program, so the more opportunities students get to practice in a safe environment in which they can encounter scenarios under the guidance of an instructor and knowing how to act is crucial for saving lives and promoting health," said Dr. Laura Waters, an associate professor, and chair of the Department of Nursing with ESU.
The university showed off the center. It features four manikins that can mimic human body functions.
There is also an operating room space, a nursing station, and a high-tech control room where faculty can monitor several simulation scenarios.
"It keeps all their skills in tune and up to par so when they do pick a future specialty, they'll be ready to be safe clinicians," Dr. Waters.
To keep patient conditions as realistic as possible for students, the professor is about to control the manikin and its vital signs through a computer in a separate room.
"We get so many different Patient Scenarios that we may not get hands-on in the hospital. We're able to think on our toes. They can send up all kinds of situations. They're monitoring us. They speak to us through the manikins, which are really cool," said Damary Kossatti-Gressey, a junior nursing student at ESU.
Students say because of the simulation center, they can now react better to the changing needs and conditions of patients.
"This really helps because we can physically hear it. Their vitals change so we can look at them, and access them hands-on. So now it gives me more confidence going into the hospital accessing my patients because I do it all the time here," said Lyndsay Floystad, a junior nursing student.
Community agencies and health professionals will also be able to use the simulation center at East Stroudsburg University to practice their skills.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel.