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It can breathe, blink, bleed and even talk. Meet “METI Man”, a mechanical patient simulator, the latest in robotic technology that allows new nurses at Wilson Memorial Hospital in Sidney to get a new kind of hands-on experience to enhance their clinical competence and confidence, thanks to a new partnership with the Nursing Institute of West Central Ohio. On Friday, July 18, five new nurses in orientation at Wilson honed their patient care skills using the METI Human Patient Simulator provided by Wright State University’s College of Nursing and Health and used by the institute, which will help the nurses shorten the time it takes to become experienced, veteran nurses. “We’ve teamed up with Wilson Memorial Hospital to give nurses a jumpstart on increasing their clinical skills that nurses typically obtain only after significant patient experience,” said Debi Sampsel, Nursing Institute executive director. “We know the simulator is a valuable training tool because it affords new nursing graduates the opportunity to practice a wide array of patient care procedures early in their career that they may not encounter for months in a real patient environment.” Nurses will then be more prepared when serious medical situations arise. “We are excited that WSU brought the simulator first to Wilson Memorial Hospital,” said Sue Horwarth, vice president of nursing services. “Nursing graduates entering our workplace can take what they learned in school and synthesize it on the mechanical patient, which will shorten the learning curve.” The simulator experience can provide hospitals with a quicker supply of proficient nurses. The METI simulator, a highly realistic mechanical patient complete with real physiological monitors, can simulate nearly every medical condition a nurse could encounter, which might include cardiac arrest, diabetic complications or respiratory disease. During a simulation, the METI captures data on what choices the nurses make as they think about procedures, protocols and medications. The instructor can monitor the delivery of care and how well the nurses communicate with the patient and their team. “The nurses go through every step, and then get real-time feedback on their decisions, and how they impact the patient’s care,” Horwarth said. Nurses being trained were enthusiastic about this new type of education. “The scenario felt very realistic, like it was really happening to a patient of mine,” said Amy Rose, one of the five new nurses in the orientation process. “I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to experience this.” The simulator training lasted all day, allowing the nurses to take the lead on different medical scenarios. “I was great to see, hear and interact with the patient,” Wanda Green commented. Jennifer Steinke, a new nurse in training agreed and said, “We really gained a lot of experience, and that was great.” Under a four-way partnership, the Nursing Institute supplied Wilson with the METI patient simulator and two simulator educators. In addition, CareFlight Air and Mobile Services of Miami Valley Hospital, another party to the agreement, provided a second type of simulator, the Laerdal “Sim Man,” along with two educators for honing skills in assessing, recognizing and treating difficult and highly complex patients with various interventions. “Wilson is very progressive in seeking new ways for their nurses to build their skills, and this presented an opportunity for the nursing institute to build on its desire to help community and rural hospitals to train new workforces,” Sampsel said. “This equipment can be expensive and cost-prohibitive, so by teaming up we can stretch resources to maximize training of a new nursing workforce.’ Headquartered at Wright State University, the Nursing Institute of West Central Ohio was created to address the nursing shortage in West Central Ohio. Serving 22 counties, the Nursing Institute focuses on research and evaluation, nursing education and professional practice. It also works with business, community and other partners to position west central Ohio as a desirable employment opportunity for nurses and creates innovative solutions that address nursing workforce shortages, cost reduction and efficiencies.
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