On Tuesday, Dec. 6, St. Thomas University’s SIM (simulator) family welcomed a new addition-Thomas “Tommy” Villanueva. Tommy is now part of STU’s growing SIM family and friends– mom Rita, dad Augustine “Gus,” older brother Anthony, grandmother Clare, and pal Charlie. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and measured 21 inches long.
Tommy is part of the School of Science’s newly acquired childbirth simulator. This simulator is a lifelike mannequin (mom Rita) that includes a birthing fetus (Tommy) used to give nursing students practice in a variety of labor and delivery scenarios.
Each simulation is controlled by an instructor, who sets the childbirth to a normal delivery or a variety of obstetrical emergencies, and students make decisions based on the mother’s and baby’s vitals, and verbal cues.
SIM laboratories like these give students the ability to practice nursing skills in a safe environment, according to Rosa Rousseau, STU’s simulation lab coordinator with decades of nursing experience.
“This simulation laboratory is specially designed to offer experience and preparation for students interested in working in nursing,” said Rousseau. “We are proud to provide real-world scenarios in a safe and supportive environment where students can focus on becoming safe and efficient health practitioners.”
Our state-of-the art simulation laboratory, located in the Carnival Cruise Lines Science and Technology Building, features seven SIM mannequins, ambulatory care exam tables, an incubator and medical equipment, designed to offer invaluable opportunities to enrich and enhance learning, as well as to increase student confidence.
For more photos of the demonstration, click here.
