Bellin College nursing students have been able to utilize a new maternal simulator training tool this academic year, thanks to generous donors. Proceeds from Bellin’s 18th Annual Golf Classic in 2018 as well as a private foundation gift enabled the college to purchase a childbirth simulator named Victoria.
Victoria is a lifelike, high-fidelity manikin that educators can use to implement seamless birthing simulations, including normal, breech, and cesarean section deliveries. Victoria gives birth to a lifelike, full-term, realistic baby named Tori. In addition to many lifelike and interactive features, Victoria and Tori also support a wide range of diagnostic equipment, which allows students to practice equipment setup, operation, and data interpretation.
“I have drastically changed how I teach since incorporating simulation into my course curriculum,” said Michelle Pranghofer, instructor of nursing at Bellin College. “Students seem to enjoy, learn, and remain highly engaged with the use of simulators. Adding these tools into my course has helped me reach those students who need a more hands-on education.”
It is an exceptional opportunity for students to have the ability to experience and practice with a highfunctioning manikin, such as Victoria, in the classroom setting before setting out into the real world at their job or on clinical sites.
“These simulators provide students an opportunity to not only learn concepts about maternity but to function as a maternity nurse for a moment in time,” Pranghofer said. “They are power tools that enable students to apply concepts they have learned and put their knowledge into practice.”
Bellin College holds a golf event annually. Proceeds from the 19th Annual Golf Classic this coming June will go toward enhancing the Student Success Center on the Bellin College campus.