published: Sunday, December 02, 2012

High-tech Medi-Man helps teach nursing students

By SAMANTHA GHOLAR

sgholar@newssun.com

SEBRING -- Azure College is taking a step into the future with a one-of-a-kind tool that will help students learn in the most hands-on manner possible.

Medi-Man, a full-body mannequin, was acquired by the college the day before Thanksgiving. Medi-Man is a life-sized tool that is able to mimic all the qualities of a living and breathing human being. The tool is the first of its kind in the Heartland, according to Azure College President, Executive Assistant and Financial Director Debra Snyder.

"This is the only Medi-Man anywhere around here. It is a learning tool for the students and helps in the classrooms," Snyder said.

The $60,000 tool was shipped from Miami and has been in full use since it arrived at the college on Nov. 21. Many first-year nursing students feel lucky to have the tool in their classroom and often put it to good use.

Instructor Mary Ann Fry said that the Medi-Man is used in the students' day-to-day lessons.

"It can be set up for normal classes or for a skills lab, but it is used every day. Students use it for a number of lessons. Instructors can program it to do almost everything a human can do. It can malfunction any way a body can malfunction," Snyder said.

Medi-Man is equipped with blinking eyes, a pulse, bullet wounds, stab wounds and even a voice. When in full use, students may use Medi-Man to draw blood, fill an IV, and take blood pressure.

He can be programed to seize, go into convulsions, collapse a lung, urinate, go into cardiac arrest and an endless number of other scenarios, all with a few keystrokes.

"It is the newest training tool out," said Snyder. "There's just so much you can do with it. They (students) enjoy it. Before they trained on us (staff and instructors), but those days are gone."

Azure is expecting a second learning tool, the Medi-Woman, in the coming weeks. Medi-Woman is also a fully equipped, life-like mannequin.

The only difference is Medi Woman is "pregnant" and will allow students to get a feel for delivery and possible pregnancy scenarios.