Simulation Session Gives OB Nurses Vital Skills
The expectant mother is due to give birth to twins any moment when she starts a seizure and calls for the nurse from her room at the Gritman Family Birth Center.
Jennifer Jones, Family Birth Center Director
Thankfully, the Registered Nurse has trained for this moment. She calls for her clinical team and together – through a flurry of movement – they administer medication and move the patient in a way that stabilizes the mother and stops her from foaming at the mouth.
The situation is simulated, part of an annual Joint Commission-required training on a Laerdal high-fidelity human patient simulator. The simulation mannequin appears real, has vital signs and can give voice responses in any number of scenarios. Each scenario helps keep clinical staff up to date on the latest research, including monitoring for eclampsia – a rare condition where increased blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to seizures and other complications in expecting mothers.
“Patient safety is of the utmost importance to us here at Gritman Medical Center,” said Jennifer Jones, Director of Gritman’s Family Birth Center. “Being able to practice life-threatening events that could possibly happen to patients helps to better prepare us. Teamwork is one of the reasons why our unit functions so well together and being able to practice our teamwork in simulation-type settings can only strengthen us.”
Nurses and other clinical staff at our Family Birth Center spent a day this fall covering dozens of scenarios in preparation for real-life situations they hope they never have to confront. Training in these situations allows clinical staff to debrief and work through any critical situations in a safe environment, with the opportunity to run through problem areas multiple times to ensure both mother and baby are healthy.
“Having the opportunity to invite a company like Laerdal to run simulations with equipment that makes the scenarios seem real is very valuable for us,” Jones said. “This gives us the opportunity to practice our skills with hands-on simulations, and to better prepare us in a non-threatening environment.”
It’s all part of the Family Birth Center staff mission to provide compassionate expertise while delivering exceptional care that’s close to home.
Read more Gritman stories at gritman.org/connections.
