Labor and delivery simulator prepares nursing students for the real thing

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - COVID has had an impact on students in the medical field. Nursing students may not get the access at hospitals and clinics like they once did.

Simulators hope to prepare students for real life scenarios.

“Lucinda” is the latest simulator at the Orvis School of Nursing Redfield Campus. She sounds like a patient in labor and in the end, she actually delivers a baby. She is proving invaluable to students who may not get access these days to hospitals because of COVID.

“The coolest thing is actually being able to practice your assessment skills on the doll I guess,” says Danielle Ferrigno, an Orvis nursing student. “It has similar reactions to someone giving birth. When someone is having a contraction, their belly will get firm. So will the simulator,” she says.

Lucinda is the only simulator of its kind in our region. Advanced enough she can run students through six scenarios which can be visualized through virtual reality goggles.

“Yes, we get to offer the regular births here,” says Shannon Richard, Associate Professor at the Orvis School of Nursing. “And then offer those rare experiences to prepare our future nurses for safe clinical practice,” she says.

Richard says “Lucinda” is the 6th simulator on the Redfield Campus, but clearly the most specialized--hopefully giving nursing students the confidence they will need out in the real world to encourage moms-to-be at the time of delivery.

Lucinda will not replace real patients, but she will certainly introduce students to medical scenarios they may never see during their clinical rotation.

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