Pocket Nurse Healthcare Simulation Products Prepare Learners for Bariatric Patients
For healthcare simulation to be as effective as possible in the training of medical professionals and learners, simulation manikins and products must represent all types of patients. This includes patients who are bariatric and therefore may need different clinical accommodations. To help meet this need for diverse and inclusive healthcare simulation training resources, Pocket Nurse offers a number of products that either represent obese patients or the accessories used to treat them. This article will describe each product, as well as touch on the product’s features and benefits.
SimObesity Shirt V2: SimObesity product solutions are designed to simulate the unique physical complexities of caring for bariatric patients. The SimObesity Shirt is constructed to go over healthcare simulation manikins or standardized patients to simulate obesity. The shirt exposes learners to the complex physical and emotional challenges of providing healthcare to this population. For example, this product has been designed to simulate realistic challenges experienced when listening to bariatric heart/chest sounds. Learners must discover the right strategy to get an accurate sound.
Benefits include weighted pendulous breasts and pannus create deep skin folds that highlight the need for thorough skin assessment of bariatric patients. Pills, simulated yeast, fungus, or excoriations can be placed in the folds for students to discover. Additionally, bilateral deltoid injection sites are present, as well as an abdominal site for subcutaneous infections.
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SimObesitySuit Jr.: The SimObesity Shirt Jr. is constructed to fit over pediatric manikins or standardized patients to simulate obesity. The shirt also exposes learners to the complex physical and emotional challenges of providing healthcare to this population.
SimLeggings: SimLeggings are clinical simulation accessories that are designed to zip over the ankles and lower legs of manikins from various manufacturers and can also be worn by standardized patients. They have a slight sheen and exhibit the characteristic “pitting” when pressure is applied to the legging. These products simulate the look and feel of pitting edema. The SimLeggings from Pocket Nurse come in a few different versions: a pediatric five-year-old pair, pediatric newborn, pediatric one-year-old,
Graham-Field Lumex Bariatric Imperial Steel Crutches: These crutches are made from heavy-duty steel construction and have a push-button for height adjustments. These adjustments exist in 1-inch increments. The weight capacity is 600 lbs.
Graham-Field Lumex Bariatric Trapeze: Educators can teach safe patient handling with this trapeze. Learners can safely change a patient’s position in bed and transfer the patient from bed to other equipment with minimal assistance. The trapeze comes with rubber bumper guards to protect walls, a fully adjustable handlebar, and a floor stand.
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More About Bariatric Simulators
A bariatric simulator is a segmented clinical task trainer that represents a bariatric patient and that can be used to teach surgical skills or patient movement for EMS, PT, or other direct patient care professionals. Surgical learners can gain valuable practice experience and insight while performing various bariatric surgical procedures through the use of bariatric simulation. For other professional healthcare providers, learning how to move obese patients is critical to both the safety of the patient and the provider. Especially for EMS providers, learning how to physically move a patient with other care providers during emergency situations ahead of time through medical simulation can literally save lives.
As laparoscopic bariatric surgery operations can be technically challenging and their training opportunities for junior surgeons limited, using virtual reality simulation can be an especially effective alternative to completing the training and assessment of laparoscopic bariatric technical skills. Virtual reality bariatric simulation scenarios provide learners with the opportunity to develop the necessary critical thinking skills to maintain care for this patient population.
Bariatric simulation products can be used to visually train on bariatric pulmonary challenges, sensitivity, mobility, fall risk, and skin safety. Bariatric transport, another element of care that can prove challenging, can be simulated to prepare learners as well. Together, training of these skills and procedures can help bridge the gap between introductory clinical simulation training and actual clinical practice.
More About Pocket Nurse
Pocket Nurse is a U.S.-based company that makes and distributes medical supplies and equipment for healthcare simulation and education in medicine, nursing, EMS, pharmacy, and other allied health groups. The company’s products are extensively used in nursing simulation but have applications across the entire range of the medical simulation industry.
The Pocket Nurse business began in 1992 with one product, the Pocket Organizer. This organizer was so popular, the solution led the way to the production and sale of over 5,600 products, which now include mannequins from Laerdal, moulage tools, and headwalls. The company was founded and owned by a nurse, Anthony Battaglia, who continues to oversee the company.
Today, Pocket Nurse supplies a large variety of diagnostic equipment such as stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, skinfold calipers, otoscopes, mounted diagnostic stations, and urine analyzers. The company also produces and distributes hospital furniture such as beds, stretchers, and a variety of headwalls with oxygen outlets, suction, and diagnostic equipment. Infection control products including personal protective equipment are available, along with an extensive collection of patient care products.
Learn More About Pocket Nurse’s Bariatric Simulation Products
Lance Baily, BA, EMT-B, is the Founder & CEO of HealthySimulation.com, which he started while serving as the Director of the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas back in 2010. Lance is also the Founder and acting Advisor to the Board of SimGHOSTS.org, the world’s only non-profit organization dedicated to supporting professionals operating healthcare simulation technologies. His co-edited Book: “Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Operations, Technology, and Innovative Practice” is cited as a key source for professional certification in the industry. Lance’s background also includes serving as a Simulation Technology Specialist for the LA Community College District, EMS fire fighting, Hollywood movie production, rescue diving, and global travel. He and his wife Abigail Baily, PhD live in Las Vegas, Nevada with their two amazing daughters.
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