Austin, TX — October 29, 2013–Motion Computing, a mobile technology provider for vertical markets such as healthcare, today announced that McLennan Community College in Waco, TX, is now using Motion tablets to control Gaumard® simulation mannequins to help prepare medical field students for a variety of field and in-facility treatment scenarios. Approximately 3100 students a year pass through the simulation training areas, including nursing, paramedic and surgical students.
Simulation training is a key part of a healthcare professional’s education. Before McLennan had the Motion tablets controlling the mannequins’ actions, simulation mannequins were tethered, so the instructor had to manually control them and run the scenario next to the bedside. This decreased the sense of realism. Today, Motion tablets are equipped with Gaumard software designed to power the mannequins’ actions through radio frequency and monitor vital signs through a Wi-Fi connection. The communication, power supply, and compressor remain inside the mannequin, making the training more comparable to working with a real patient.
McLennan faculty and staff program the mannequins to behave a certain way and respond accordingly based on treatment provided by the student. Faculty can either program the mannequins ahead of time or make adjustments in real-time for active response simulations.
“Now that the Gaumard mannequins are powered by Motion tablets, students are able to experience a variety of very real-life like emergency and non-emergency healthcare situations — from heart attacks to long-term diabetic care,” said Abigail Rodriguez, Operations Manager, Health Professions Skills and Simulation Lab at McLennan Community College. “The knowledge students can gain from experiencing these scenarios is endless.”
The simulation lab at McLennan serves students in the nursing, respiratory therapist, paramedic and surgical programs. In addition, residents training to be doctors at the local Waco Family Medicine Residency Program are also active participants in the simulation lab and develop both discipline specific competencies and skills mandatory for professional collaboration. In the next month, nurses from a local hospital will also begin conducting additional training at McLennan.
“One of the most fulfilling things about the program is when we hear about students who have gone through a training scenario with the mannequins, and then faced a similar real-life event just weeks later,” said Rodriguez. “In several cases, we’ve heard the students didn’t do so well during the training, but because of the guided learning experiences in our lab, they did great in the real-life event. Now, that’s a success story.”
About McLennan Community College
Located in Waco, Texas, MCC was established in 1965 by the citizens of McLennan County. McLennan Community College provides access to excellent workforce and transfer programs, student services, and continuing education that promotes student success including proficiency in identified student learning outcomes, successful course completion, graduation, employment, and transfer to a senior institution. The college engages and strengthens its community through successful educational attainment, strong leadership, sustainability efforts, best practices, community service, and integrity.
