UIC showcases high-tech health care training opportunities for students

Just as health care continues to modernize, so does health care education, including at UIC. At the university's health science colleges, students can practice in real time the skills they'll need in their careers, long before they step into the health care field.

The newest opportunity for hands-on practice for students is MamaAnne, an obstetric maternal and birthing manikin at the UIC College of Nursing. MamaAnne made her debut Sept. 15 at the start of Healthcare Simulation Week, a weeklong observance established by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, a teaching and certification organization that advocates for simulation-based training to improve the safety and effectiveness of health care delivery.

At the college's state-of-the-art M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning & Simulation Laboratory, nursing students "delivered" MamaAnne's manikin baby, then celebrated with a baby shower.

The Schwartz Sim Lab is a highly realistic environment where nursing students can practice nursing skills, react to changes in the patient and think critically in real time. The college purchased the high-tech MamaAnne manikin, manufactured by health care education company Laerdal Medical, thanks to a gift from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alums Nita and Phil Francis for needed simulator upgrades at the College of Nursing.

MamaAnne's simulated birth came with the elements of a real birth: simulated breath sounds, heart tones and pulses as well as contractions, delivering of the placenta and cutting of the umbilical cord. During these birthing simulations, instructors observe students from a control room behind one-way glass and operate the physiological responses of the manikins. After a simulation, students review their recorded simulations with instructors and peers.

"Simulation allows students to experience high-stakes scenarios with low-stakes consequences," said College of Nursing Dean Eileen Collins. "Also, while live clinical training is essential, there's no ability to control the cases students see in their clinical rotations; faculty can use simulation to expose students to scenarios they might not encounter in the field."

Scenarios such as a breached birth, a postpartum hemorrhage and a birth in non-traditional positions, are all things MamaAnne is equipped to do. MamaAnne can also be hooked up to IV fluids, as needed.

Safe space to make mistakes

As part of the birthing simulation, nursing students learn how to maneuver and position the baby safely, with focus on getting the baby's head out first, then shoulder.

"The greatest benefit of UIC's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is the state-of-the-art Schwartz Simulation Lab," nursing student Tamara Stewart said. "The laboratory is fully loaded with high-tech manikins and telehealth (simulations). We get all the space we need to make mistakes with classmates. It really does prepare you for the transition into the hospital and working with real patients."

In the control room, an instructor on a laptop operates MamaAnne and all of the stages of the birthing simulation. The instructor can change MamaAnne's vital signs and verbal expressions and simulate a wide variety of fetal presentations, so the students need to be prepared for anything.

"High-fidelity simulation bridges classroom learning with real-world obstetrical scenarios, helping our nursing students refine technical skills and strengthen their clinical confidence," said Pamela Pearson, director of doctor of nursing practice programs in midwifery and women's health at the college.

"The lessons gained in simulation extend far beyond graduation," she added, "carrying into practice and shaping our students into calm, prepared and responsive advanced-practice clinicians - the kind we want guiding safe and respectful births."

After MamaAnne's simulated birth, the shower celebration began. Attendees enjoyed refreshments and played baby shower-themed games, like a swaddling contest. Gifts for MamaAnne like diapers and baby wash were donated to the UI Health Mother/Baby Unit.

"UIC's top priorities for student success include teaching and learning innovation as well as experiential learning," said Katie Vanderzwan, director of the Schwartz Simulation Laboratory.

"Simulation is all of these combined. The mission of the Schwartz Lab is to be ambassadors of health care simulation in nursing education. The addition of MamaAnne to our manikin portfolio sets us apart from other area nursing schools in that our students will get to train with the latest and greatest equipment, bridging the gap to clinical practice."

Actors playing patients

Just down the street from the Schwartz Lab is the Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute in the College of Medicine's Department of Medical Education. It features facilitated technology-based and human-based simulation experiences for College of Medicine students.

Actors in the simulations help learners safely practice while also fostering empathy, communication and cultural responsiveness. The experiences prepare these future health care providers to deliver not only safe and effective care, but also equitable and authentic human connection.

At the institute, the Rehearsal for Authenticity Program offers learners a unique opportunity to practice communication with professional actors as collaborative partners. Unlike traditional role play, learners have the agency to pause, revisit or increase the challenge of an encounter, experimenting with different approaches until they find their voice. The actors draw on their training and skills to create realistic scenarios and respond authentically, helping learners rehearse difficult, emotional or high-stakes conversations with patients, families and colleagues.

"Unlike traditional simulations, the Rehearsal for Authenticity Program encourages participants to experiment, even try approaches they wouldn't normally choose, to discover new insights," said Bob Kiser, interim director of the Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute.

"The benefits of incorporating actors as simulated patients results in the invaluable reward of authentic human connection in health care training," he added. "Simulation can even extend beyond clinical training to strengthen leadership and everyday professional skills."

Simulation is a University of Illinois College of Medicine-wide curricular requirement and priority. The college also has simulation labs at its campuses in Rockford and Peoria.