The School of Nursing officially debuted its new human patient simulators, "Stan" and "Stan Jr.," Thursday with an afternoon of activities, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony and instructional seminar.
Carol Durham, clinical professor of the nursing school's Clinical Education and Resource Center, said the new simulators will be beneficial for students, allowing them to interact with and react to a mannequin that responds to treatment in real time.
Stan, short for "standard man," is used by 31 students in the 14-month bachelor's of science degree in the nursing program.
Before Stan, nursing students had to use regular mannequins that did not move and could not respond to treatment.
Stan looks like a 250-pound adult man. His eyes are designed like the lens of a camera, and his pupils shrink if light is shined into the eyes. Soft areas on Stan's arms, wrists and legs indicate pulse points. Students can listen to Stan's heart with a regular stethoscope or insert a urine catheter.
Stan Jr. resembles a child between 4 and 7 years old and weighs 44 pounds.
The school is the second in the country to purchase a simulator for exclusive use in nursing education. School officials said they hope to expand use to all nursing students and nurses at UNC Hospitals.
Medical Education Technologies Inc. manufactures Stan and Stan Jr. Mark McClure, manager of technical operations for the company, explained that Stan is controlled by an independent computer tower that simulates numerous scenarios, including heart attacks and collapsed lungs. The mannequin is connected to the tower by wires.
Typically, a professor will run a patient scenario, McClure said, and Stan's condition will either worsen or improve based on the students' reaction.