Columbia University School of Nursing Introduces Advanced Pediatric Patient Simulator to Prepare Students

The Columbia University School of Nursing recently launched a new innovation in its clinical simulation curriculum, “Pediatric HAL,” the most world’s most advanced pediatric patient simulator. It’s the first of its kind to simulate life-like emotions, responsive facial expressions, speech, and movement.

The new robotic technology will be used in the school’s curriculum to help nursing students develop specialized skills to effectively communicate, diagnose, and treat young patients in all clinical settings. Columbia Nursing is one of the first schools in the country to use the simulator and the first nursing school in New York State to implement it. The robotic technology is wireless and tetherless, and capable of nearly a dozen facial and verbal expressions that demonstrate anxiety, anger, amazement, crying, and response to pain.

The new technology also possesses dynamic lung compliance which emulates real lung functionality, enabling Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist students to practice intubation and delivering anesthesia. The robot can also simulate medical crises including lung collapse so students can practice emergency interventions like chest tube insertion.

Kellie Bryant, DNP, executive director of simulation and assistant professor at the Columbia University School of Nursing, tells Newswise.com, “Our curriculum teaches students how to address critical health conditions so they can practice handling difficult situations that require strong communications skills, such as how to communicate a serious medical diagnosis to a young child. This robotic technology will help us to enhance our students’ clinical skills and help them become better prepared nurses and nurse practitioners, improving patient outcomes and safety through more accurate diagnosis and treatment.”

To learn more about Columbia Nursing’s new advanced pediatric patient simulator to help prepare students for treating young patients in a variety of clinical settings, visit here.