'Stan' Starts Career At Nursing School

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.

Stan also comes with barcoded syringes for more than 60 different drugs, and the mannequin will respond to injections. "You can overdose, give him too much or too little, and he responds," McClure said.

But Stan need not only be male. Stan comes with attachments to make him anatomically female. Stan's programming also includes scenarios specific to women, such as pregnancy.

A complete simulation unit, including Stan, Stan Jr. and the computer tower, costs $215,000. The gas compressor needed to administer oxygen and anesthesia to Stan costs $1,200, and the gases are $60 per month.

The idea for Stan started at the University of Florida at Gainesville, and he eventually went to market in 1996. The School of Nursing uses the most recent version, Version D.

The simulators intrigued nursing students Thursday. "It's indescribable," said Beth Harris, a nursing student at Barton College. "It's an asset to help teach nurses to become more proficient in their careers."

Sherry Dumas, a UNC nursing student in the 14-month program, also said working with Stan was amazing. "I was able to run through realistic emergency scenarios, but without the life-or-death stress."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.