UBC Okanagan Nursing student Lia Bartolillo checks the chest sounds of the School of Nursing's new pediatric human patient simulator, nicknamed Dylan.
There’s always something wrong with Dylan. On any given day, this six-year-old boy can come down with just about anything — from the flu to heart failure — and he is a real challenge for the nurses who look after him.
Fortunately, Dylan is not a real boy. He’s UBC Okanagan’s new pediatric patient simulator (PediaSIM), capable of recreating the physical presence and medical responses of an actual six-year-old child. Purchased with a $125,000 donation from the Sutherland Foundation, this latest addition to the School of Nursing’s training labs was introduced at UBC Okanagan today.
Measuring 48 inches tall (122 cm) and weighing 38 pounds, (17.2 kg), Dylan the PediaSIM features a realistic airway, heart, breath, bowel sounds and bilateral pulses.
“Dylan is an exceptional learning tool for nursing students who are training to care for critically ill and injured children, and diagnose underlying conditions,” says Joan Bottorff, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development. “Expanding access to advanced patient simulators gives our nursing students the preparation they need for a constantly evolving and increasingly complex health care environment. We thank the Sutherland Foundation for their generosity in making this possible.”
Funding for the PediaSIM at UBC Okanagan builds on the Sutherland Foundation’s generous support for health-related education, research and care at UBC. In 1998, the Foundation established the Rodger Stanton Memorial Library Endowment, supporting acquisitions for UBC’s Life Sciences Libraries. In 2000, the Foundation gave another gift to establish the Peggy Sutherland Memorial Library Endowment, also within the Life Sciences Libraries.
About 400 students already use the School of Nursing’s first patient simulator, Stan (short for “Standard Man”), purchased in 2007. While they don’t replace hands-on clinical experience for nursing students, the human patient simulators do offer a risk-free opportunity for students to experience procedures and medical conditions that might not present themselves during a student’s clinical practicum in a hospital.
“Exposure to high-risk situations involving children rarely occur during the course of a student’s education,” notes Carol McFadyen, Associate Director of the School of Nursing. “The pediatric simulator gives learners the opportunity to build the skills and confidence they need to provide safe, effective care to children.”
About the Sutherland Foundation
The Sutherland Foundation was established by the family in memory of Margaret Joan (Peggy) Sutherland. Born in Alberta, Peggy was an exceptional student. After high school she moved to Vancouver and entered the School of Nursing at St. Paul’s Hospital, graduating in 1951. She developed a strong commitment to health care and a real concern for her community. Over the years she became an active volunteer with a number of organizations, and was able to share her optimism and love of life with many people. She died in 1999.
The Sutherland Foundation is dedicated to preserving her spirit and aims to present learning opportunities for nursing students, health care professionals and members of the community.
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