Talking to patients and their families about death is difficult, even for experienced health care professionals, but it’s an essential skill. The University of Houston (UH) College of Nursing is attempting to address the limited clinical opportunities for nursing students to practice palliative care and end-of-life conversations by using a high-fidelity mannequin to simulate these challenging conversations.

The high-fidelity mannequin is funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Nursing Innovation Grant Program. They believe the specialized training is a first-of-its-kind innovation to be used by collegiate nursing programs.

Cheryl Brohard, assistant professor and project director at UH, tells Eurekalert.org, “Nurses will tell you they don’t feel confident or competent with this subject matter. That’s an issue. With this addition to our simulation lab, we’re trying to make the students as comfortable as possible with a challenging but necessary situation.”

The female mannequin is nicknamed “Julia” and programmed to breathe, blink, and simulate medical conditions. A nearby room is equipped with video and audio feed of the simulation lab where a faculty member plays the role of the patient, allowing students to respond and watch their interactions later. Students will be exposed to various scenarios including a patient coming to terms with a recent diagnosis, advanced care planning, and deteriorating health.

To learn more about the University of Houston’s use of a high-fidelity mannequin for practicing palliative care and end-of-life care conversations, visit here.

Christina Morgan
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