Get the equipment you need to create your Health suite and teach the curriculum.
]]>We’re proud to support more than 250 colleges and schools working closely with T-Level teachers to ensure they’re getting the equipment they actually need.
We offer T-Level Health teachers:
🟡Product advice
🟡Guidance from healthcare simulation experts
🟡Training packages
Contact our team for your personalised support.
Watch our webinar with the Education & Training Foundation to see a tour of a T-Level Health suite.
Download our free T Level Health Product Guide, with equipment matched to your curriculum.
When you receive your Specialist Equipment Allocation funding, it can be hard to know what to buy.
There are so many different options and you’ll want to make sure you’re purchasing equipment that provides the best teaching resource and the best value for money.
Healthcare simulation equipment varies greatly in cost and the skills you can teach with it.
First it’s important to understand what Healthcare Simulation is.
Healthcare simulation is the use of simulation techniques, equipment and technology to replicate real-life healthcare scenarios for educational and training purposes.
This approach allows T-Level Health students to practise and enhance their clinical skills in a controlled and safe environment before engaging with real patients on placement.
This different teaching style means you need to create an immersive environment that looks like the real thing. Where you can teach students the skills and develop the understanding they need.
To teach T-Level Health effectively you will need to consider key elements of healthcare simulation:
Patient Simulators: These manikins replicate human physiology and respond realistically to interventions. They can simulate various medical conditions and allow students to practise key skills such as the 6Cs of Patient Care.
Task Trainers: Simulators designed to teach specific skills or procedures, such wound care with decubitus trainers or catheter care with catheterisation trainers.
T-Level Health Suite: A dedicated space equipped with simulators, audio-visual technology, and classrooms for debriefing for immersive and realistic training.
Scenario Development: Create realistic scenarios that align with your learning objectives, allowing your students to practise clinical skills and decision-making.
Curriculum Integration: Integrate simulation-based learning into the broader T-Level Health curriculum. Consider how you can teach multiple core components in a simulation scenario.
To teach T-Level Health you need to consider both your classroom space and your clinical space. Every college or school will face challenges around space, staffing and timetabling.
Before purchasing your T-Level Health equipment, consider these issues:
If you have space to create a simulated hospital ward, there are some key products you will need to teach the core components and create an immersive learning environment.
Hospital Bed, tray table and bedside unit
Simulated headwall
Crash cart
Hospital grade bin
See the full Sim Centre equipment range
These products help you create a leaning space that accurately reflects a real hospital ward.
Patient simulators or manikins vary greatly in functionality and cost.
We recommend Juno for T-Level Health. Juno is a nursing skills manikin and is a T-Level teacher favourite.
Clinical task trainers are lower in cost than many simulation products, but allow you to give your students experience of the conditions and procedures they will see on their placements.
Our recommended task trainers for T-Level Health include:
Pressure sore models
Wound care models
Ostomy trainers
One of the key T-Level Health assessments is the ESP- Employer Set Project.
The scenarios in the assessment must be recorded and uploaded to the NCFE portal in the correct format.
Being filmed can be very uncomfortable, so it makes sense to practise this process before the assessments take place.
Not only will students feel happier being on camera, but watching back the recordings will help them develop the important skill of reflective practice.
Students are required to look back on their scenario and reflect on what went well and how they could improve. Many students find the move away from a purely narrative account to a reflection very challenging.
With an AV system designed for simulation, your students can be given lots of opportunities to build these reflective skills, ready for the ESP assessment.
We recommend SimStation Go. A portable AV recording system that's easy to use.
To see the full range of T-Level Health equipment and guidance, speak to our team: sales@simandskills.com.
]]>It's the Human Patient Simulation Network 2023, taking place in Nottingham from 13th-14th December.
Sim & Skills will be there to showcase many of our latest products, including our incredibly realistic facemasks. Come and see for yourself, just how realistic they are.
We will also be taking part in a discussion forum all about scaling simulated placements sustainably. We'll be offering practical solutions for large cohorts, so be sure to join our session.
See the full list of workshops and talks here
]]>Discover the latest news, course updates and training for T Level Health teachers.
]]>From training courses to curriculum changes, we've got all the latest updates you need.
There’s a great range of network events coming up in December for colleges and schools who are about to start teaching T Level Health and those who are already delivering the course.
The sessions help you develop your knowledge and allow you to explore different teaching practices. You can hear from T Level Health teachers already teaching the course and exchange ideas.
It's a great space to meet fellow T-Level Health teachers who are also getting ready to deliver the course.
Book your place on a network event now.
You've finally got through the assessment process with your students, you're ready to upload the evidence and bam- the portal is refusing your submission.
Is it the file type?
Is it the file size?
Please just upload!
Take away the technical stress. The newly updated NCFE guide for uploading your T Level Health evidence will help you prepare to upload your evidence and support you to troubleshoot any technical problems.
Get the guide now.
These events arranged by the Association of Colleges give you a chance to visit colleges that have been teaching T Level Health for a few years.
You can see their health suites and find out how they are teaching the students in immersive learning environments.
Get a chance to learn from experienced T Level Health teachers and ask them how they have overcome the challenges you may be facing.
Book on to an insight day.
The announcement of a new FE qualification, the Advanced British Standard, sent concern across the T-Level Health community.
However the government says the new qualification will have T Levels at its core. The proposal merges more academic and more vocational courses together under one name. The qualification is a long way off and there are currently few details available about the new qualification:
Sim & Skills are holding an Industry Workshop webinar with the Education & Training Foundation in January.
Join us to see a tour of a simulation health suite. Get ideas for your own Health suite and ask questions about the equipment you see.
Also included is a demo of our recommended responsive manikin Juno. This nursing skills manikin has proven to be very popular among T Level Health teachers.
Book your place now under the Health and Science drop-down.
]]>When you're born a little earlier than planned, you need the best possible care.
The UK has one of the highest premature baby birth rates in the world, with more than 60,000 premature babies born each year. Every neonatal story is different.
And the level of care babies and their families receive in the NICU affects their long-term outcomes.
When the stakes are this high and the patient so precious, getting the treatment and care right is so important.
Paul is the world's smallest high-tech patient simulator and allows you to practice intubation in the safe surroundings of the simulation suite.
Paul has been developed by Neonatologists and combines a highly realistic appearance with highly realistic internal anatomy. He has a body length of 35cm and weighs 1090g.
His inner and outer anatomy was developed based on MRI data from real premature babies of 27 weeks +3 pregnancy, creating a previously unseen level of realism for premature and low birth weight infants.
Paul features a unique, realistic airway that enables you to practice intubating a premature baby in the safety of the simulation suite environment.
The control laptop included with Paul allows you to manage his clinical state, which changes in response to the actions taken by your team.
The simulated patient monitor replicates the different monitor displays you will see in the NICU and displays Paul’s vital signs, including heart rate, respiratory level, and oxygen saturation.
Simulation training with Paul not only allows you to practice and develop the skills needed to care for premature babies. Paul’s realism also allows your team to develop the empathy skills needed to provide family-centred care.
With Paul, you can create highly realistic training scenarios that develop the communication skills and empathy needed to support the parents of premature babies.
By creating the most immersive training experiences possible Paul can help to improve the outcomes of the patients who require the most special level of care- premature babies.
Experience Paul’s realism for yourself. Contact us to find out more and book a demonstration.
]]>But early CPR and Defibrillation can more than double their chances of survival.
Restart a Heart Day aims to equip more people with the knowledge to perform CPR and use a defibrillator.
The Resuscitation Council and British Heart Foundation’s annual campaign wants to help save more lives by increasing awareness of cardiac arrest and CPR.
This year’s campaign focuses on equal access to defibrillators. A person suffering from a cardiac arrest has a greater chance of survival if a defibrillator is used.
If you discover someone has stopped breathing and has collapsed, follow these steps:
Approach the person and check for any dangers.
See if the person is unresponsive by shaking them gently.
Look and listen for signs of normal breathing by checking the rise and fall of their chest.
Shout for help.
Call 999 and put the phone on speaker. The operator will help you.
Perform CPR by starting chest compressions
The call handler will tell you where the nearest defibrillator is. Ask someone to locate it for you. Never leave the patient to look for a defib.
You don’t need any training to perform CPR, as the 999 operator will talk you through the steps.
However, training will help you feel confident performing CPR. First Aid courses are available throughout the country where you can practise on a manikin, just the manikins below.
Want to learn CPR in 15 minutes? Have a go at RevivR, the British Heart Foundation’s CPR training tool. It’s free and will increase your confidence should you ever need to help someone in cardiac arrest.
All you need is your phone and a pillow.
We had a go and you can too.
The Resuscitation Council has simple steps to perform CPR here
A defibrillator, often called an Automated External Defibrillator or AED, is a portable machine that can detect abnormal heart rhythms and deliver the shock that’s needed to help restore a normal rhythm.
The simple answer is no. A defib is simple to use. If you believe a person is in cardiac arrest and have located a defibrillator, the first step is to attach the two pads to the chest. A diagram on the defib will show you where to place the pads.
Switch on the defibrillator which will analyse the person’s heart rhythm. The defibrillator will now talk to you and give you instructions. If the person requires a shock, depending on the type of unit, the defib will ask you to stand clear so it can deliver the shock, or it will ask you to press a button to shock the person’s heart.
As soon as the shock has been delivered, the defib will ask you to resume with chest compressions.
A defibrillator will only deliver a shock if its initial assessment shows the person needs it. If they don’t need a shock, the unit will tell you to continue with CPR. Defibrillators are very reliable. Following their instructions is the best way to help save a person’s life.
Defibrillators can be widely found in public places, workplaces and community centres. When you call 999, the operator will be able to tell you where your nearest defibrillator is.
It’s a good idea to know where your local defibrillator is in relation to your home or workplace, should you ever need it.
A national defibrillator network called The Circuit has been created where defibs can be registered. This allows you to locate your nearest defib.
We have a defibrillator outside our HQ on a busy industrial estate and we have added it to The Circuit.
If you want to increase your confidence with CPR and using a defibrillator, a First Aid course is the best place to start.
During the course, you will get the chance to practise chest compressions on CPR manikins and use specialist training defibrillators.
Our range of CPR manikins and defib trainers are widely used by First Aid trainers.
]]>Learners can review their knowledge, reflect on their performance and improve.
It's equally as important to reflect on the teaching and learning that is happening in our scenarios, in order to ensure the quality of Simulation Based Education (SBE) is of a consistently high standard.
Scenarios pieced together on the fly are unlikely to meet the learning objectives for the session and risk creating inconsistencies when it comes to quality.
Well-planned simulation scenarios, that are reviewed frequently allow you to:
But all of this takes time.
iRIS, the simulation authoring software is the ideal tool that allows you to do all of this and more.
Intuitive and easy to use, Core iRIS gives you the power to design your own simulations and collaborate with others in your department and the wider simulation community.
Sim & Skills with Alex Clark and Phil Purver from iRIS, signing our new partnership deal.
This innovative approach allows you to put your students in charge of their learning with greater potential for self-directed study.
It also allows you to scale your simulation and use it to solve the student placement capacity problem.
As part of Student Powered Simulation, we are pleased to be able to offer you StudentSim by iRIS.
StudentSim gives students the power to develop their own simulation scenarios.
Allowing students to take control of their own learning by:
With the StudentSim software, you can support your students throughout the design process and check they are making progress.
Join our virtual event on 27th September to learn how you can use Student Powered Simulation and StudentSim in your teaching.
Find out more about iRIS and StudentSim:
]]>This year's theme is 'Be a champion of your success story'.
Organisers, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) are asking for the simulation community to shout their successes from the rooftops (well online).
If you're planning any events this week to showcase the great work you do to support training, education and increase patient safety, then add your details to the Healthcare Simulation Week calendar.
As part of this week's celebrations, we're championing the 5 online accounts you need to follow to keep up to date with everything simulation.
These are the people who champion Simulation through podcasts, Tweets, webinars and live events.
Give them a follow to ensure you're always up to date with the latest Simulation developments and events:
]]>
This year the focus is on engaging patients, families and caregivers, highlighting the importance of including patients as partners in their care. The WHO’s Global Patient Safety Action Plan states,
Patient engagement and empowerment is perhaps the most powerful tool to improve patient safety. Patients, families and other informal caregivers bring insights from their experiences of care that cannot be substituted or replicated by clinicians, managers or researchers. [1]
Healthcare simulation plays a vital role in enhancing patient safety by providing a safe, controlled, and effective way for healthcare professionals to learn, practise, and improve their skills, collaborate effectively in teams, and prepare for a wide range of clinical scenarios.
Listening to the patient's voice in healthcare simulation is an essential aspect of providing realistic and effective training for healthcare professionals. Including the patient's perspective in simulation scenarios can enhance the educational experience and contribute to better patient-centered care:
Patient-Centered Care: a fundamental principle in healthcare. By incorporating the patient's voice in simulation, healthcare professionals can learn to prioritise and respond to these aspects of care, promoting better patient outcomes.
Realistic Communication: Effective communication between healthcare providers and patients is crucial for diagnosis, treatment, and emotional support. The use of Standardised Patients in scenarios can allow healthcare professionals to practise and refine their communication skills in a realistic context. Software solutions like PCS Spark use AI patients who respond to trainee questions. This software increases the opportunities to practise communication skills.
Empathy and Compassion: Simulations that involve patient perspectives can help healthcare providers develop empathy and compassion. Understanding the patient's emotions, concerns, and anxieties can lead to more compassionate care and a deeper connection between providers and patients.
Cultural Competence: Patients come from diverse backgrounds, and their cultural beliefs and values can impact their healthcare experiences. Simulations involving patients from various cultural backgrounds can help healthcare providers become more sensitive to these differences.
Informed Decision-Making: In some scenarios, patients may have preferences or make decisions that healthcare providers must respect and address. Simulating scenarios where patient autonomy and decision-making are central can help healthcare professionals navigate these situations effectively.
Quality Improvement: Gathering feedback from patients or standardized patients who participate in simulations can help identify areas for improvement in healthcare delivery. This feedback can be used to refine simulation scenarios and training programmes, ultimately enhancing patient care. This can be further developed by utilising AV debriefing software such as SIMStation Essential. A powerful tool that can be used to watch back scenarios and reflect on the interactions clinicians have with patients.
In a study developed by the Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science, Imperial College London, researchers actively used patients to help develop scenarios and sought their feedback - creating a collaborative space for clinicians and patients to work together in simulation.
The study gave clinicians valuable insights into the patient experience and raised issues they had not previously considered, 'expressing personal experience through a simulation witnessed by others allows different perspectives to become visible' [2].
Although further research is needed, the study concluded that patient viewpoints need to be viewed with equal validity. Simulation provides a safe space, ‘in which issues such as communication, trust and empathy could be explored’. [3]
The academic year is here.
Get the new Autumn term off to a great start with our
Top 5 'Back to College' T-Level Health products.
Whether you're starting with your first cohort or welcoming students back and looking to build on your existing health suite, these 5 products will:
🟡Help you create a realistic healthcare training environment
🟡Get your students ready for their placements
🟡Help you to develop your students' core skills of communication and reflective practice
]]>
T-Levels are vocational-based courses for school-leavers aged 16 to 19.
These two-year courses were first introduced in 2020 with new courses being added each year. From this September there will be more than 20 subjects to choose from.
Developed with employers and businesses, the courses focus on the practical skills and knowledge students need when they enter the workforce.
T-Levels involve a mixture of classroom-based learning and industry placements.
80% Classroom based
20% Work based
T-Level courses are Level 3 qualifications like the existing BTECs and NVQs. However, they are a more challenging qualification. Students must achieve 5 GCSES from grades 9-4, including English and Maths to study T-Levels.
One T-Level is equivalent to 3 A-Levels.
The T-Level Health course prepares students to work in different healthcare roles.
This year T-Level Health achieved the highest pass rate of all the T-Level courses with a 96% pass rate.
The first year of the course focuses on developing a good understanding of health and science concepts. Students have a mixture of taught lessons and practical sessions where they learn
How to provide patient-centred care
How to support the health and wellbeing of patients
The importance of infection prevention and control
Understand human anatomy and physiology
During the second year of T-Level Health, students get to choose an occupational specialism. Each college offers different specialisms, but could include:
- supporting the adult nursing team
- supporting the midwifery team
- supporting the mental health team
- supporting the care of children and young people
- supporting the therapy teams
T-Level Health is about to start its 3rd year of delivery. Each year more colleges and schools choose to teach T-Level Health. Eventually, all BTEC Health courses will stop and colleges will need to move over to teaching T-Level Health.
Click here to find out if your local college teaches T-Level Health.
]]>See how we got on with the Geri suit challenge.
]]>Falls are among the most common causes of injuries in people over 65.
A third of people in this age range will experience a fall each year, with this figure rising to half of people over the age of 80.*
It's vital to understand how difficult it is to get up from a fall.
Although falls don't always result in serious injuries, they can have a major impact on a person's confidence and well-being and cause them to feel like they're losing their independence.
The natural ageing process means our muscles become weaker and we experience problems with balance. Long-term health conditions and loss of vision can also cause us to lose our balance and fall.
If you or someone you support suffers from a fall, the best thing is for the person to remain calm.
If you are strong enough to get up, this should be done slowly.
The best way to get up is to roll onto your hands and knees and use something stable like a piece of furniture to support yourself.
If you are unable to get up from the floor, reaching for something warm like a blanket can provide some comfort while waiting for help. Keeping a mobile phone in your pocket means it's easier to get help when a fall happens when you're alone.
Age UK has a range of ideas to make the home safer for older people.
To understand the problems faced by elderly people, it's important to experience their challenges.
We created the fall challenge to see how we would cope getting ourselves off the floor.
The suit restricted our movements and made it very difficult for us to move our bodies:
Wearing the geriatric suit, really gave us an insight into how difficult it is to move our bodies. We developed a greater level of empathy for elderly patients and the struggles they face with daily living challenges:
]]>It was incredibly hard to get off the floor. The suit affected the way our legs move and the weight made it so much harder to lift ourselves off the floor. The glasses and headphones were very disorientating and once we got up to a standing position we felt very dizzy and off balance.
*NHS Falls https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/falls/
Discover why Blue Phantom ultrasound trainers are some of the most sustainable Simulation models available.
]]>If you don’t put in place the changes that will really make a difference.
Healthcare simulation environments are all about learning, trialling and perfecting skills.
The equipment you use for your simulation scenarios and training needs to be robust enough to withstand repeated use.
It has to be sustainable.
Products that have to be replaced every 5 minutes are no good for you and they’re certainly no good for the environment.
Having durable and reliable equipment means you can succession plan- a key driver of sustainable practice:
It’s important to us that the products we offer you last the distance.
That’s why we recommend the Blue Phantom range of Ultrasound trainers.
Each model features self-healing tissue that can take around 1000 needle sticks.
A study carried out in partnership with the US government found,
'The Blue Phantom™ 2 Vessel Original Ultrasound Training Model demonstrated excellent durability after 1,000 needle punctures in a 1- cm2 area. Based on the length of simulated vessel in each model, it should support over 25,000 simulated attempts at vascular access.'*
That's a lot of insertions!
We've put together a guide featuring the most popular ultrasound models in the UK.
Take a look and discover for yourself the durability and reliability of the Blue Phantom Range.
*Schofer JM, Nomura JT, Bauman MJ, Sierzenski PR. Prospective durability testing of a vascular access phantom. West J Emerg Med. 2010 Sep;11(4):302-5. PMID: 21079696; PMCID: PMC2967676.
]]>There are almost as many career websites as there are careers.
Here's a round-up of the best career sites for T-Level Health students.
]]>Results day is a huge moment for T-Level Health students and their teachers.
Two years of hard work and dedication resting on a final grade.
The marks students receive will determine where they head next on their career journey.
Many students will have already chosen their post-college path, but if your students didn't get the grades they were expecting or they've changed their minds about the route they want to take, they'll need some support.
There are lots of options out there, so you'll want to give them the best career advice.
There are almost as many career websites as there are careers.
Here's a round-up of the best career sites for T-Level Health students.
We are very proud to announce the birth of the latest member of the Sim & Skills’ family.
Say hello to Paul- the smallest, high-tech patient simulator in the world.
Designed to support Neonatal teams in delivering emergency care for premature babies. Paul offers high levels of realism and immersive learning scenarios to support safer pathways and better outcomes for premature babies.
Currently 1 in 13 babies[1] in the UK are born premature and receive some form of neonatal care from Special Care Baby Units (SCBU), Local Neonatal Units (LNU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU).
The number of preterm births continues to rise.
A baby is considered to be premature if they are born before 37 weeks and require specialist care from neonatologists and neonatal nurses.
Babies can be admitted to a neonatal unit for a number of reasons.
It may be they were born before 37 weeks, or they have a very low birthweight. Babies can also be admitted if they have an infection, jaundice, had a difficult birth or they are recovering from complex surgery[2].
When you’re born a little earlier than expected, you need lots of specialist support and care and so do your Mummies and Daddies.
Paul has been developed by a team of Neonatologists and combines a highly realistic appearance with highly realistic internal anatomy. He has a body length of 35cm and weighs 1090g.
His inner and outer anatomy was developed based on MRI data from real premature babies of 27 weeks +3 pregnancy, creating a previously unseen level of realism for premature and low birth weight infants.
Paul features a unique, realistic airway that enables you to practice the skill of intubating a premature baby in the safety of the simulation suite environment.
The control laptop included with Paul allows you to manage his clinical state, which changes in response to the actions taken by your team. While the monitor displays Paul’s vital signs, including heart rate, respiratory level, and oxygen saturation.
Simulation training with Paul not only allows you to practice and develop the skills needed to care for premature babies. Paul’s realism also allows your team to develop the empathy skills needed to provide family-centred care.
With Paul, you can create highly realistic training scenarios that develop the communication skills and empathy needed to support the parents of premature babies.
By creating the most immersive training experiences possible Paul can help to improve the outcomes of the patients who require the most special level of care- premature babies.
Experience Paul’s realism for yourself by requesting a free demo.
[1] NICE guidelines Preterm labour and birth https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng25
[2] NHS Special Care: ill or premature babies https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/after-the-birth/special-care-ill-or-premature-babies/
]]>The week aims to raise awareness of the different career paths available and encourages more people to join one of the many Healthcare Science professions.
A great week for us to launch our new Anatomy Teaching Software that will support students and teachers and help to inspire the next generation of healthcare scientists.
The term ‘Healthcare Science’ covers a wide range of roles across more than 50 different specialisms from therapeutic services to clinical scientists and diagnostic services.
There are over 50,000 Healthcare Scientists working across the NHS and public health.
Take a look at the different roles available:
Healthcare science staff play a crucial role in preventing, diagnosing and treating medical conditions. In fact their work is so important it affects the majority of patient pathways and informs more than 80 per cent of clinical decisions.
For students leaving school this year, there is now a T-Level in Healthcare Science, offered by colleges up and down the country. The two year course allows students to develop a general understanding of health and science to prepare them for further study or for entry straight into the Healthcare Science workforce.
The course includes core science concepts including human anatomy and physiology and the structure of cells and tissues.
Our new Anatomy software, Bio Atlas is the ideal tool for teaching and learning these core concepts.
Bio Atlas is an online library of fully interactive 3D virtual models to explore the human body. The immersive content allows you to explore 12 anatomical systems and 9 regions.
The topographic anatomy models allow you to study anatomical systems in depth, while the physiology 3D models display the functions of the human body, from the heart cycle, to pulmonary ventilation and muscle fibre contraction.
You can explore cell biology and understand how molecules are transported through the cell membrane. The Histology slides can be used to view and analyse glands, organs and tissues.
With Bio Atlas, all your students can access the content both in college and at home so they can learn whenever and wherever they have internet access.
Each model comes with descriptions and labels to aid understanding.
Students can add labels and notes to the models which can be saved to assess each students’ understanding of the concepts.
You can even track your students’ usage with the data dashboard.
]]>
If you don't have a favourite, the choice of great products on the market can be overwhelming.
Keep scrolling for the best features (in our opinion!) of our updated top 10 alternatives to Laerdal CPR manikins, to suit every budget and help improve your first aid training.
One of the biggest concerns for learners (and trainers!) is
Am I doing CPR right?
How effective is your CPR practice? This concern is resolved by Brayden Advanced CPR manikin, utilising visual feedback with LED lights. Learners see instantly how well they are doing and get that important reassurance.
First, correct compression depth of at least 5cm will light up the chest. Next, correct rate of 100 compressions per minute will light up the blood flow route to the brain.
Finally when both depth and speed are perfected the brain area will light up to indicate quality CPR has been delivered. This represents the perfusion of the heart, sending oxygenated blood to the victim’s brain – the reason CPR works!
Along with realistic head tilt and accurate anatomical markings, It is clear to see why this is a solid favourite for those delivering CPR training.
The updated cprCUBE is next with the new Pro version.
Although not a manikin, its compact size and feedback capabilities are the reason this fun little device makes the list.
Focused on compression only, the cprCUBE Pro is constructed from a dense foam giving realistic results similar to an actual manikin torso.
The cube also includes LED lights to give the visual confirmation of a successful compression. Once all lights around the base are lit, the cube will flash and buzz to indicate good quality compressions have been achieved.
Further to the visual feedback, connect the cprCUBE Pro to the feedback app on a smart phone or tablet and you can produce a detailed individual learner report which allows for accurate feedback.
When building your kit for CPR training, size of manikin, storage and weight are key areas taken into account.
No one wants to be lugging around large, heavy manikins on a regular basis!
CPR prompt is a fantastic, best value for money solution, offering a lightweight foam body.
It includes a simple, one use face shield/lung bag system, anatomical markings and allows for the practice of the Heimlich manoeuvre.
Sharing a feature with the Brayden Manikin, CPR Prompts also have an adjustable compression depth clicker that allows you to quickly and easily switch between Adult and Child for the most realistic and accurate CPR practice.
Want CPR feedback aswell? Add on the CPR Plus package powered by Heartisense, connect wirelessly and get accurate feedback via the app and sensors.
When looking for realistic CPR trainers, it can be hard to find manikins of different sizes.
This is where Bariatric Fred or 'Fat Old Fred' as he used to be referred to, comes in.
Fred represents an older, larger male allowing for the challenge of performing CPR on an obese victim. The additional padding around the stomach and chest is designed to give further resistance for learners to practice realistic CPR.
The second feature to highlight for Fred is the easy to replace Mouth/nose pieces and lung system with a non-rebreathing valve. This keep maintenance and cleaning simple and helps to control infection risk when learners are sharing the same manikin.
CPR isn't and shouldn't be limited to just humans.
As our pets become part of our family so so should pet First Aid.
Pet first aid is on the rise so it begs the question would you know what do if your dog collapsed with suspected cardiac arrest?
CasPeR is a canine manikin, developed under veterinarian review for improved realism.
It boasts features including an appropriate moulded position for delivering chest compressions, mouth to snout resuscitation, with a one use face shield/lung system and a pulse bulb to simulate femoral pulse.
When you purchase a CasPeR CPR Dog from Sim & Skills we donate to PDSA through our partnership with Work for Good.
Like the CPR Prompt we listed at #4 but need something even more compact?
Basic Buddy shares the same features but with a slightly more compact torso.
Basic Buddy delivers just as its name suggests; a basic, budget friendly manikin that is lightweight and easy to store, featuring a compact torso that includes a compression block.
Switching between adult and child compressions is as simple as adding or removing the block. This minimises the need for multiple sizes of manikins.
As with the Prompt range, you can add on CPR Plus powered by Heartisense and get accurate, real time, CPR feedback for compressions and ventilations via the app and sensors to share with learners.
As with the other Simulaids® manikins on the list, Kyle has mouth/nose pieces that are quick and easy to change in between learners and uses a lung system with non-rebreathing valves for that extra infection control reassurance.
Also available in a jaw thrust model.
No CPR Manikin list is complete without featuring the Simulaids® Brad.
Known for its sturdy construction, Brad has been tested to withstand over one million compressions!
Brad ticks all the boxes for quality and versatility starting with a simple to clean mouth/nose piece that can be easily and quickly changed in between learners and non-rebreathing valve in the lung system.
It is available in light or dark skin tone and there is also an additional female overlay available to purchase to add further realism and diversity to your CPR training kit.
Finally Brad also has a CPR feedback model available, utilising Visual training assistant (VTA). Keeping it simple, VTA is a box that plugs into the side of the manikin and provides feedback via two LEDs. One to confirm correct rate and a second to confirm correct compression depth. Both light up when quality CPR is being delivered.
The Sani-Man range from Simulaids® is known for it simplicity, value and complete single use face shield lung system.
The Economy model makes the list for its affordability, allowing Trainers to have one manikin per learner if needed.
The Economy Sani-man includes realistic head tilt, anatomical landmarks to aid hand placement and is made from tough vinyl, with a foam filled chest for resistance when doing compressions.
Love the idea of CPR Feedback but don't want to deal with the app and sensors?
Economy Sani-man is available with VTA, the same CPR feedback system as Brad at #9. VTA gives learners immediate reassurance their technique is working with visual confirmation provided by the LED illuminating.
1. Brayden Advanced CPR Manikin with Lights
2. Brayden Baby CPR Manikin with Lights
3. CPR Cube Pro with CPR Feedback app
4. CPR Prompt Adult/Child Manikin with optional CPR feedback available
5. Life/form® Fred Bariatric CPR Manikin
6. Simulaids® CasPeR CPR Dog Manikin
7. Basic Buddy with optional CPR feedback available
8. Simulaids® Kyle Child CPR Manikin
9. Simulaids® Brad Adult CPR Manikin
10.Simulaids® Economy Sani-Man with optional CPR Feedback (VTA)
This list is just a small snapshot of the CPR products available.
Want to see what else we offer?
Do you agree with our list? Have we missed your favourite? Tell us in the comments!
For more information and expert advice contact us.
Sources
1 https://www.sja.org.uk/get-advice/first-aid-advice/paediatric-first-aid/how-to-do-cpr-on-a-baby
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We're pretty certain every T-Level Health teacher is on Santa's nice list, but if St. Nick can't deliver all your T-Level needs, then Sim & Skills are on hand to help.
We've added 5 products to our Santa wish list that will really bring lessons to life.
Which of these will make your Christmas list?
The ideal T-Level Health manikin.
Juno is light-weight, has realistic articulation and can be easily changed from female to male.
Bowel, breath and heart sounds add to the realism.
Practise a range of nursing skills and patient care routines.
Perfect for teaching infection control techniques.
Visually shows where handwashing techniques need to be improved to be effective. UV gel glows under the light and represents the bacteria left behind after washing.
The camera can be connected to a screen to display to the class.
Easy to use, simple to clean and incorporates the highest level of safety.
This hospital bed suite includes bed, mattress and bedside cabinet with a folding tray.
Hospital-standard beds at an affordable price for education and a place to put your manikins too!
Portable and light-weight, the CPR Cube gives you immediate feedback on your CPR performance.
The instructor app allows you to monitor your students' progress, which you can track throughout the year.
Walk a day in someone else's shoes.
The geriatric empathy suit allows students to experience what it feels like to be an elderly person with reduced mobility and impaired vision.
Weights in the suit simulate the extra muscular effort needed to move and the bendable torso vest forces a hunched posture.
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Juno has everything you need to prepare nurses for safe, clinical practice. Juno meets your training needs and helps learners to develop critical thinking skills.
]]>Juno has everything you need to prepare nurses for safe, clinical practice. Juno meets your training needs and helps learners to develop critical thinking skills.
From task training to patient scenarios, these are the 5 reasons why Juno is the nursing skills trainer you need.
Juno is a mobile, light-weight manikin. Your students can practice supporting patients with Juno’s realistic articulation and range of motion in the hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows and wrist. Juno can even be supported into a sitting position.
Juno comes with breath, heart and bowel sounds, adding to the realism.
Juno has been designed to support nursing education and allows you to teach a range of skills from vascular access to medication administration.
You can teach Tracheostomy tube placement, Ostomy care, Nasogastric tube insertion and unilateral IV Cannulation.
Prepare your students for real patient care with Juno’s intramuscular sites for medication administration, and urinary catheterisation.
See what else Juno can do.
Juno is interchangeable from a female to a male patient, saving you money and space. Included with Juno is a male chest skin, genitalia and wig, making it simple to switch.
Juno comes complete with Maestro, CAE’s user-friendly software, that gives you access to 10 pre-programmed simulated clinical experiences.
Task your students with assessing a hip replacement patient or performing post-operative care of a patient with pneumonia.
The software is tablet based, giving you the freedom to facilitate the training and change the patient’s vital sign settings at the touch of a button. Maestro even gives you the ability to create your own scenarios.
Juno is a completely wireless manikin. Make your patient scenarios mobile and allow your students to practise nursing skills on the move
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Around a third of people in the UK have high blood pressure, also known as Hypertension. If left unchecked, high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other diseases.
One of the problems with high blood pressure is that there are rarely any symptoms. Many sufferers only discover they have a problem with their blood pressure after having a heart attack or a stroke. Around half of all strokes and heart attacks in the UK are caused by high blood pressure.
The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure, before falling ill, is to have a blood pressure check.
There are many factors that can cause high blood pressure. These include having too much salt in your diet, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and not doing enough physical activity.
Having a family history of high blood pressure can also put you at greater risk.
Every September, Blood Pressure UK promotes the importance of having regular blood pressure checks, by running ‘Know Your Numbers! Week’. This year the campaign is focusing on the importance of home monitoring, using home blood pressure monitors.
Home blood pressure monitoring is an effective and inexpensive way to keep blood pressure under control.
This year’s theme of Measure, Modify and Manage gives everyone 3 key steps to know their numbers:
When you measure your blood pressure, two sets of numbers are given.
The number at the top shows Systolic blood pressure and is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats.
The number at the bottom is the Diastolic blood pressure and is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats.
A healthy range for blood pressure is shown in the green area on the graph.
Only one of your numbers needs to be higher than it should be, to be diagnosed with high blood pressure. If the top number is 140 or above or the bottom number is above 90, then this is considered high blood pressure and you are at increased risk of serious health problems.
Doctors and nurses recommend measuring your blood pressure a number of times across a few weeks, as one high reading doesn’t necessarily mean you have high blood pressure.
If you are concerned about your blood pressure reading, then consult your doctor.
There are steps you can take to lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing serious illnesses.
Your doctor may also suggest taking medication to lower your blood pressure.
Keeping an eye on your blood pressure with a home monitor, is the best way to keep an eye on those important numbers.
Automatic blood pressure monitors used in the home are simple to use.
Our recommended model comes with cuff fit and error indicators, which light up when the cuff is applied too loosely or the user is moving, which can impact the accuracy of the readings.
Using the blood pressure monitor correctly will produce accurate results.
Video of blood pressure monitor
Blood pressure UK have a great selection of resources to help you learn how to measure your blood pressure at home.
If you’re supporting clinicians to use blood pressure monitors, these simulators will meet your training needs.
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There's so much to sort and organise. We've want to make tackling the T-Level resource requirements, a little easier.
We've put together the Back to College list, with 5 key resources that will get the new term off to a great start.
We've carefully matched the resource list in the T-Level Qualification Specification to the simulators and products best suited to teaching the T-Level Health course.
These resources are already proving to be popular with colleges across the country and can be used for both the Core Component and with the second year Occupational Specialisms.
We recommend TERi, the award-winning geriatric patient simulator.
TERi simulates how an elderly patient moves and feels and is the ideal solution for teaching basic and advanced nursing skills.
Students can practise supporting the activities of daily living including bathing, clothing changes and hearing aid placement. TERi also allows students to respond to acute medical emergencies, with the ability to practise injections, CPR, auscultation and oxygen administration.
When paired with SimVS patient monitor simulator (sold separately) TERi becomes a fully responsive manikin ideal for teaching T-Level Health.
You can't measure what you can't see. The UV hand hygiene trainer with a camera, allows you to assess the effectiveness of your students' hand washing techniques (including the NHS 5 moments of hand hygiene).
Using a UV glow lotion to represent bacteria, the UV light in the inspection cabinet shows any remaining lotion after handwashing.
Perfect for teaching infection prevention and control in health specific settings.
Professional and portable, the Nonin Onyx Vantage Pulse Oximeter accurately measures the oxygen saturation levels of your blood.
The simplest, most user-friendly pulse oximeter on the market, trusted by NHS clinicians for over 10 years.
In every healthcare environment from hospital wards to care homes, a bed is an essential piece of equipment to support and care for patients.
The safety of both the patients and the clinicians using the bed is of paramount importance. The INNOV8 simulation bed gives clinicians the opportunity to safely experience operating the controls to smoothly move the bed frame into different positions. Patient-handling techniques can be practised and assessed, allowing for increased patient safety.
Featuring everything you expect to see on a hospital bed, this simulation bed is designed to withstand many years of use and has an affordable price for T-Level Health providers.
We have a great range of anatomical models to support the teaching of science concepts and human anatomy systems. From 3D models of the brain to detailed models of cells, we've got everything you need for your T-Level health course.
The classic unisex human torso model is a popular teaching tool, with removable parts to further explore the respiratory and digestive systems.
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Today is Play Day. A national celebration of the importance of play and promoting the benefits it has for children.. and adults too.
So why is play such a dirty word?
Before crossing over to the world of medical simulation, I was an Early Years teacher for 10 years. A mostly joyous job, where I got to play with young children for the majority of the day. Blissful, child-initiated, child-led play that was bursting at the seams with learning, creativity, social and communication development and lots of fun.
‘All you do is play all day’ was an accusation often hurled at Early Years teachers like myself. A derogatory comment thrown at us as if play is easy, meaningless and a frivolous break from the real learning. ‘Yes, yes we do’, would be my proud reply.
And it’s the perception that play has no place in education that causes it to become a dirty word. Early years teachers flood social media, desperately looking for the right words to call their children’s playtime in the classroom: ‘busy time’, ‘choosing time’, ‘sparkly, magical, honestly we’re doing lots of very important learning time’. Anything other than play.
Traditional, Victorian-like didactic teaching looks down on play. It doesn’t understand play, it can’t easily control it and boy it doesn’t know how to carefully interact with it, support it, develop it and find that magical moment where it makes something click in the brain and new knowledge and skills are embedded.
If you believe in the power of play and you’ve seen the positive, holistic effect it has on the whole child, you better be ready to draw up your defences and battle for its existence. Even four and five year olds are seeing their access to play denied. There’s too much ‘real’ learning to do, for play to happen.
This is where the real issue lies. The undervaluing and the misunderstanding of the importance of play.
What is play at its core?
Play is experiential learning. A hands-on, safe environment that allows the learner to practice and hone their skills. Repeating tasks schematically until perfected, discovering the limits of properties or our own physical strength. A space to learn how to problem-solve, get creative, negotiate and collaborate with our peers, communicate our ideas, needs and feelings.
Wow, what a pointless list of soft skills. Why would anybody need to have these qualities in the adult world of work?
Children learn best when their learning is joyous, exciting, challenging and is actively engaging. The famous Benjamin Franklin quote, perfectly sums up the relationship between play and learning:
‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn’.
So if children are actively engaged and involved in their learning in a practical, relevant and enjoyable way, their skills and knowledge are deeply embedded. This is all achieved through play.
So how is play relevant to adults?
Turning to the adult world of learning. A world that surely isn’t interested in learning through play? Well after five months working in the world of medical simulation, one thing is pretty clear- What we’re all doing, here in medical and healthcare simulation is, wait for that dirty word, playing.
Of course adult play looks different to that of children’s play. However, when students and clinicians enter a simulation suite to get their hands on a manikin or an injection trainer, they are essentially entering a world of play. Here our wonderful doctors and nurses get to practise and develop their skills in a safe environment, where mistakes can be made and learnt from.
Experimentation, collaboration, problem-solving and discovery all happen, which in turn leads to safer practice in the healthcare environment.
Without the opportunity to ‘play’ with a catheterisation trainer or a nursing skills training manikin, clinicians cannot develop the skills and knowledge needed to care for real patients. Just reading about these skills in a book would never replace the levels of engagement involved in the experiential learning environment of a healthcare simulation suite.
So if we as adults learn best through ‘play’ (or whatever grown up term we need to use to describe our learning), on this National Play Day, please, please, please can we let our children play too?
(and to all our wonderful Sim Techs- thanks for facilitating the 'play' and ensuring the experiential learning opportunities are there to help develop the skills and knowledge needed in healthcare)
]]>Let us be your guide and help you make the right choice.
]]>But where do you start? Not only is there a huge range of Manikins available, but Manikins differ greatly in what they can do and which clinical skill development they support.
The search for your ideal Manikin starts with understanding the needs of your students.
Will you need a Basic Life Support manikin for first aid training, or will you need a full-sized manikin that can be used for manual handling practice and assessment?
Get the right manikin for the job. Which one will you choose?
Brayden- The Best Manikin for CPR and Basic Life Support Training
The award-winning Brayden manikin has an innovative system of lights to allow students to understand how and why CPR is needed.
This cost-effective manikin provides real-time feedback on CPR performance.
The chest compression-indicating lights represent the volume of blood being circulated. These will only fully light when the depth of compressions is over 5cm.
The blood circulating-indicating lights, represent the flow of blood from the heart to the brain and will only fully light once the rate of compressions is over 100 per minute.
You save £50 when you purchase a 4 pack of Brayden manikins.
TERi- The Best Manikin for Geriatric Patient Simulation
Teri realistically simulates how an elderly patient moves and feels and allows you to practice all the skills needed to care for and support older people.
Teri enables trainees to develop skills in dignified geriatric care including,
– Essentials of Patient Care
– Movement Assistance and Fall Prevention
– Activities of Daily Living
– Basic and Advanced Nursing Skills
– Cardiovascular and Respiratory Emergencies
The Best Manikin for Paediatric Baby Advanced Life Support Training
This is a comprehensive training manikin to support teaching Paediatric Advanced Life Support techniques with babies.
Students can practice mask ventilation, intubation, IV, and intraosseous needle insertion.
The trainer comes with a soft carry bag, and has a selection of replaceable parts to ensure the manikin lasts even longer.
The Best Manikin for your Full-Body CPR Training Needs
This light-weight CPR/Trauma manikin has joint mobility for ease of positioning in all types of environments.
Featuring fully articulated limbs, anatomical landmarks for determining proper hand position for compressions and a Carotid pulse controlled by a squeeze bulb.
Lucy- The Best Manikin for Maternity and Neonatal Birthing Simulation Training
Lucy is designed to provide a comprehensive and economical birthing experience from prenatal to postnatal delivery scenarios.
Anatomically accurate, she allows students to experience realistic normal and abnormal deliveries. The quality and simple design make Lucy easy to use and care for while teaching birthing techniques for all levels of educator training.
Rescue Randy- The Best Manikin for Patient Handling Training
Literally a head-turner. And a waist, wrist and elbow joint mover. Rescue Randy is perfectly suited to manual handling and patient rescue simulation.
The waist flexes and bends which allows this manikin to be inserted and then extricated from very tight spots.
Barry Bariquin- The Best Manikin for Bariatric Patient Simulation
Each mannequin consists of 15 weighted parts, with the heaviest bag weighing 16kg, about the weight of a holiday suitcase. Each bag connects using a system of decals that identify where each section fits together.
A Bariquins' Bariatric Mannequin can be assembled and taken apart in just 10 minutes. Its unique assembly system means only one trainer is needed to carry each part and assemble the mannequin.
KERi- The Best Manikin for Complete Nursing Skills Simulation
This is the best manikin for practising a range of nursing skills including gastrostomy procedures, enema administration, catheterisation and pap smears.
Keri has full articulation with a lifelike range of motion. The manikin has realistic patient positioning and moves just like a real person.
Although Keri has an overall female appearance, the manikin can be converted to male by removing the wig and attaching the male genitals.
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But where do you start? Not only is there a huge range of Manikins available, but Manikins differ greatly in what they can do and which clinical skill development they support.
The search for your ideal Manikin starts with understanding the needs of your trainees.
Will you need a Basic Life Support manikin for first aid training, or will you need a full-sized manikin that can be used for manual handling practice and assessment?
Check out the candidates vying to be your next leading manikin and see who gets your vote.
Brayden- The Best Candidate for CPR and Basic Life Support Training
The award-winning Brayden manikin has an innovative system of lights to allow students to understand how and why CPR is needed.
This cost-effective manikin provides real-time feedback on CPR performance.
The chest compression-indicating lights represent the volume of blood being circulated. These will only fully light when the depth of compressions is over 5cm.
The blood circulating-indicating lights, represent the flow of blood from the heart to the brain and will only fully light once the rate of compressions is over 100 per minute.
You save £50 when you purchase a 4 pack of Brayden manikins.
TERi- The Best Candidate for Geriatric Patient Simulation
Teri realistically simulates how an elderly patient moves and feels and allows you to practice all the skills needed to care for and support older people.
Teri enables trainees to develop skills in dignified geriatric care including,
– Essentials of Patient Care
– Movement Assistance and Fall Prevention
– Activities of Daily Living
– Basic and Advanced Nursing Skills
– Cardiovascular and Respiratory Emergencies
The Best Candidate for Paediatric Baby Advanced Life Support Training
This is a comprehensive training manikin to support teaching Paediatric Advanced Life Support techniques with babies
Students can practice mask ventilation, intubation, IV, and intraosseous needle insertion.
The trainer comes with a soft carry bag, and has a selection of replaceable parts to ensure the manikin lasts even longer.
The Best Candidate for your Full-Body Manikin Training Needs
This light-weight CPR/Trauma manikin has joint mobility for ease of positioning in all types of environments.
Featuring fully articulated limbs, anatomical landmarks for determining proper hand position for compressions and a Carotid pulse controlled by a squeeze bulb.
Lucy- The Best Candidate for Maternity and Neonatal Birthing Simulation Training
Lucy is designed to provide a comprehensive and economical birthing experience from prenatal to postnatal delivery scenarios.
Anatomically accurate, she allows students to experience realistic normal and abnormal deliveries. The quality and simple design make Lucy easy to use and care for while teaching birthing techniques for all levels of educator training.
Rescue Randy- The Best Candidate for Patient Handling and Rescue Training
Literally a head-turner. And a waist, wrist and elbow joint mover. Rescue Randy is perfectly suited to manual handling and patient rescue simulation.
The waist flexes and bends which allows this manikin to be inserted and then extricated from very tight spots.
Barry Bariquin- The Best Candidate for Bariatric Patient Simulation
Each mannequin consists of 15 weighted parts, with the heaviest bag weighing 16kg, about the weight of a holiday suitcase. Each bag connects using a system of decals that identify where each section fits together.
A Bariquins' Bariatric Mannequin can be assembled and taken apart in just 10 minutes. Its unique assembly system means only one trainer is needed to carry each part and assemble the mannequin.
KERi- The Best Candidate for Complete Nursing Skills Simulation
This is the best manikin for practising a range of nursing skills including gastrostomy procedures, enema administration, catheterisation and pap smears.
Keri has full articulation with a lifelike range of motion. The manikin has realistic patient positioning and moves just like a real person.
Although Keri has an overall female appearance, the manikin can be converted to male by removing the wig and attaching the male genitals.
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But not just any old bed. A hospital bed designed for healthcare simulation.
Okay, we know, beds may not seem like the most exciting simulation purchase, but they are an essential part of your simulation centre.
Creating an authentic clinical learning environment, helps your students and clinicians feel fully immersed in any training scenario.
Whether you’re building a simulation facility from scratch or updating your current offer, realistic simulation centre equipment that replicates the real healthcare world, helps students to learn more effectively.
But it’s not just the beds you’ll need. Here are the essential items that will be the foundation of your simulation suite.
INNOV8 Caretek Hospital Bed Suite for Healthcare Simulation
In every healthcare environment from hospital wards to care homes, a bed is an essential piece of equipment to support and care for patients.
The safety of both the patients and the clinicians using the bed is of paramount importance. The INNOV8 simulation bed gives clinicians the opportunity to safely experience operating the controls to smoothly move the bed frame into different positions. Patient-handling techniques can be practised and assessed, allowing for increased patient safety.
Featuring everything you expect to see on a hospital bed, this simulation bed is designed to withstand many years of use and has an affordable price for clinical education.
Loaded 6 Drawer Emergency Crash Cart for Simulation
The perfect accompaniment to your simulated hospital bed is the Emergency Crash Cart for simulation. The cart contains all the supplies and simulated medicines needed for teaching adult and paediatric life support.
Allow your trainees to experience using medications and medical supplies in a safe and controlled environment.
The emergency crash carts come with 5 or 6 drawers and feature airway and intubation supplies, simulated medications and IV fluids for resuscitation training.
Simulated Headwall with Compressor and Vision Private Flat Wall with Air Compressor
Complete your simulation suite with our latest range of simulated head walls and flat walls with air compressors.
Give your students the most authentic healthcare training environment by providing opportunities to use oxygen and air flow meters, humidifiers, nasal cannulas and suction collection canisters. The simulated headwalls can be customized to meet your individual training needs.
The vision private flatwall package is designed for simulation suites, so it’s easy to install and maintain.
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What can you do to extend the life of your Advanced Venepuncture and Injection Arm?
]]>The Advanced Venepuncture and Injection arm is a durable and long-lasting simulator, offering its users the potential for hundreds of injections. With replaceable parts available, it is also a sustainable skills trainer.
However, the correct care is needed to ensure the longevity of the skin and veins.
How long will my IV trainer last?
This is a difficult question to answer, as each training provider will use the simulator differently. However, we have some top tips to ensure your Advanced Venepuncture and Injection Arm is fit for purpose and will provide trouble-free usage for a long period of time.
The size of the needle
The life-span of the IV skin and veins can be prolonged by using smaller needles. We recommend using a 22 gauge needle when practising venepuncture and cannulation. If instruction with larger needles is required, this is possible, but will mean the skin and veins will need to be replaced sooner.
Maintaining and Storing your Simulator
To keep your IV arm in good working order for as long as possible, it will need to be cleaned after each training session, including flushing out fluid.
Why is it important to flush out IV arms?
If you leave fluid in an IV arm, over time bacteria will cause mould growth. Mould and other particles will clog the vein tubing.
To help prevent mould growth, always use distilled or deionised water when making simulated blood. Distilled and deionised water have been through treatment processes which remove impurities and reduce the ability of mould-causing bacteria to form.
After each training session, drain the simulated blood and flush the arm and pump with clean distilled or deionised water.
Long-term Storage
When your IV arm needs be stored for longer periods between training sessions, periodically flush the veins and pump with Isopropyl Alcohol. IPA kills any bacteria present in the system and will stop mould forming.
Replacing IV Arms Skins and Veins
Even with impeccable cleaning and storage, eventually the veins and skin will reach the end of their useable life. However, there’s no need to buy an entirely new simulator. With the Advanced Venepuncture Injection arm, only the skin and the veins need to be replaced.
Once the skin and veins have been replaced you'll have the look and feel of a brand new arm without the cost of a brand new arm. Giving you a simulator that offers great value for money.
Replaceable parts are an ideal way to ensure your IV arm continues to be in top working condition, ready to meet your training needs.
Take a look to see how the skin and veins can be replaced.
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Why do we need Bariatric training manikins?
Currently, 1 in 4 people in the UK suffers from obesity. By 2030 it is predicted this will increase to 1 in 3 people. This means the number of Bariatric patients in the UK requiring specialist care and support is rising.
What effect does obesity have on the healthcare profession?
The number of patients admitted to hospital with obesity-related disorders is rising each year. There are also an increasing number of paramedic calls requiring the assistance of the fire service, to safely transfer Bariatric patients to hospital.
Handling and supporting patients suffering from obesity has an effect on nurses, carers and emergency workers. One of the largest reasons for sickness absence across the NHS is musculoskeletal disorders caused by patient-handling.
The rise in the number of Bariatric patients needing support, increases the risk of patient-handling injuries.
Why is it so important to practise manual handling?
Manual-handling related injuries can be reduced when staff have the correct training. The skills needed for correct Bariatric patient handling need to be taught and refreshed regularly.
Patients struggling with their mobility due to obesity, have needs that require specific approaches to transportation, care and rescues. Bariatric manual handling training ensures patients who suffer from obesity and are struggling with their mobility, are supported with dignity.
What makes Bariquin Bariatric Mannequins so Unique?
Although regarded as an essential piece of manual-handling training equipment, Bariatric manikins can sometimes be a problematic training aid. Some manikins are incredibly heavy and require multiple people to move and set up for a training session. Others need to be filled with water to simulate the correct weight, requiring trainers to source a tap.
Bariquins Bariatric Training Mannequins solve these problems. Each mannequin consists of 15 weighted parts, with the heaviest bag weighing 16kg, about the weight of a holiday suitcase. Each bag connects using a system of decals that identify where each section fits together.
A Bariquins Bariatric Mannequin can be assembled and taken apart in just 10 minutes. Its unique assembly system means only one trainer is needed to carry each part and assemble the mannequin.
What can a Bariquins Bariatric Mannequin be used for?
The Bariquins Bariatric mannequin is perfect for developing the skills and knowledge needed to safely support, care for and rescue patients suffering from obesity.
The unique modular system allows for more complex Bariatric training scenarios including evacuations from buildings and vehicles. Emergency and Rescue Services staff can experience extricating patients from challenging environments including collapses in tightly confined spaces, overturned cars, or smoke-filled rooms.
Both Benny and Barry Bariquin come with a jacket, head, hands and feet, to realistically simulate a bariatric patient. The limbs are designed to flex like a real person, with realistic weight distribution throughout the body. Made from impact-resistant material, the mannequins are designed to be very durable.
The total weight of the mannequin is 159 kilos or 25 stone. A portable, roll-cage is also available to purchase, allowing for the easy transportation of the mannequin to training venues and simulation centres.
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What is an Arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. There are different types of arrhythmia including,
Arrhythmias can occur in the Atria, the upper chambers of the heart, or in the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart. They can occur at any age, with some barely noticeable, while more severe arrhythmias can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
What are the symptoms of Arrhythmia?
The difficulty in identifying arrhythmia is some patients have no symptoms, whereas other patients can find their symptoms incredibly debilitating.
Common symptoms include:
How to diagnose Arrhythmia
To diagnose arrhythmia, an Electrocardiogram (ECG) can be used to record the timing of atrial and ventricular contractions.
Patient training monitors designed to simulate arrhythmia, are a crucial tool to help clinicians develop the skills needed to identify irregular heart rhythms.
There’s a great range of training simulators available at Sim & Skills to help clinicians develop confidence in identifying and diagnosing an arrhythmia. Choose from manikins with ECG rhythm generators or simulated patient monitors that can be used with any manikin to create realistic training scenarios.
Here are our Top 5 simulators to help identify arrhythmia
SimVS Simulated Patient Monitor
The SimVS simulated patient monitor includes an instructor tablet that connects automatically to the students' tablets. Featuring over 200 cardiac and respiratory waveforms, trainers can select different scenarios and monitor students via two-way wireless communication.
SimVS can be used across multiple settings with live standardised patients or manikins.
The instructor tablet controls the physiological displays of 5 types of monitor interfaces:
Creative PC-3000 Patient monitor (Sp02, PR, Resp Rate, NIBP, ECG, Temp)
The Creative PC-3000 Multi-Parameter Monitor is an ideal way of tracking the condition of the patient due to the clear and visual display and multiple readings.
This patient monitor has easy readings and a long-lasting battery, making it suitable for constant use in a hospital and medical training environments.
All PC-3000 monitors are supplied with Adults SpO2 Sensor, Adult NIBP Cuff and Temperature Interface Cable.
The monitor includes optional 60 hour ECG waveform storage, and recall with arrhythmia / ST analysis. Featuring a choice of displays including waveforms or extra-large numerics.
Interactive ECG Simulator with Posts
A live defibrillation shock can be delivered through a manikin or simulator.
Practise operating your defibrillator/external pacer without a manikin. Connect defibrillator/external pacer to simulator using adapters. Built-in circuitry allows you to defibrillate and pace directly into the ECG simulator and observe ECG rhythms through the PADS connector convert feature.
Features 17 rhythms including Ventricular Tachycardia and Atrial Flutter.
Adult ALS Trainer with ECG Rhythm Generator
The features of this ALS Full-Body Trainer allow for ECG pattern recognition using the Interactive ECG rhythm generator. It is also suitable for practising defibrillation with full joule level discharge performed with patient care devices.
Built-in circuitry allows you to defibrillate and pace directly into the ECG simulator and observe ECG rhythms through the PADS connector convert feature.
Select a waiting rhythm to run immediately after defib discharge.
Pacing can be performed with any manufacturer’s defibrillator.
Life/form 15-Lead ECG Placement Trainer
A safe and simple way to teach up to 15-lead ECG electrode placement anatomically and provide visual feedback on the accuracy of electrode placement.
Students will learn the placement of the electrodes on the adult torso trainer using anatomical landmarks such as intercostal spaces, midclavicular line, anterior axillary line, midaxillary line, and scapula.
The trainer does not provide ECG output signals, but simulations of rhythms and hands-free defibrillation can be performed by adding any ECG arrhythmia simulator directly to your ECG monitor.
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Discover how Buccal Injection Trainers are a safe and cost-effective way to train staff to administer life-saving Epilepsy medication.
]]>Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes seizures. The seizures are bursts of electrical activity in the brain which affect how it works. Seizures affect people differently, but common symptoms include, uncontrollable shaking, becoming stiff, collapsing, staring into space and tingling feelings in the arms and legs.
Who is affected by Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is usually diagnosed after a person has had more than one seizure. It is most commonly diagnosed in people over 65 and in children, but anyone can develop Epilepsy at any time of their life.
Around 1 in 100 people have Epilepsy in the UK and the causes can sometimes be hard to identify. For some people, it’s caused by changes to the brain, brought on by certain conditions. For others, it’s because they inherited Epilepsy from one or both of their parents.
How do I support someone having a seizure?
Most people’s seizures last the same amount of time and stop by themselves. For these types of seizures, it’s important to remain calm, put something soft under the person’s head and only move them if they are in a dangerous place. Once the shaking has stopped, gently roll the person onto their side into the recovery position. Remain with them until they are fully recovered, offering some gentle reassurance.
The Epilepsy Society has launched a campaign to help everyone know what to do if they see someone having an Epileptic fit.
The Three C's, 'Calm, Cushion and Call' provide the basic First Aid tools that could save a person's life.
However, sometimes seizures do not stop or one seizure follows another without the person recovering.
If a seizure has been continuing for more than 5 minutes, this is called a Status Epilepticus. This is a medical emergency and requires emergency medication. At this point, it is important to call an ambulance, so the person can receive urgent medical help.
Some people are prescribed emergency medication to stop their seizures. Two types of medication can be given:
Both of these drugs are sedatives and can have a calming effect on the brain, to help stop the seizure.
Do you need training to administer Buccal medication?
Buccal medication is administered by inserting an oral syringe into the buccal cavity, which is the space between the gum and the inner cheek.
Anyone administering Buccal medication must be trained to deliver emergency medication. Epilepsy training is therefore vital to help save lives.
In some parts of the UK, Epilepsy specialist nurses provide Epilepsy awareness and Buccal injection training. Epilepsy Action has a list of training providers that deliver emergency medicine training, which can be accessed by calling their helpline.
The Epilepsy Society run their own training courses which can be booked via their website.
Why do I need to train with a Buccal Injection Trainer?
Traditionally, practising the skill of administering a Buccal injection was taught using a human volunteer. However, recent safety and social distancing guidelines have made it impossible to teach in this way. The handheld Buccal Injection Trainer solves this problem. It provides a cost-effective and safe way for Epilepsy nurses and other clinical trainers to teach this lifesaving skill.
The Buccal Injection Trainer is used by the Epilepsy Society who believe it is a great way to teach new staff, as Liz Ellis, a Learning and Development Trainer for the Epilepsy Society explains,
‘The Buccal Injection Trainer gives trainees a feel for how to administer the medication and helps to make sure they are administering it in the correct place. It builds their confidence in what is a very emotive situation’.
The Buccal Injection trainer helps to improve a carer’s skills and confidence and can help to save an Epilepsy patient's life.
The Buccal Injection Trainer is available in both Adult and Infant sizes. It features a movable jaw, teeth and tongue and there is a hole in the bottom for fluid to drain.
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The NFER research highlighted worries tutors have about the need to provide students with industry-standard equipment, so they will be well prepared to start their placements.
High-quality provision not only benefits the students’ learning and development but also enhances the reputation of the college to both placement providers and future students.
At Sim & Skills, we provide medical simulators, basic life support equipment and clinical skills trainers that are used by hospitals across the country. Your students can learn and develop their skills using industry-standard equipment, to ensure they are ready to enter the healthcare workforce.
If you want your T-level Health course to stand out from the crowd and offer students realistic learning environments, then take a look at these medical simulation products which will offer enviable facilities.
One of the most beneficial technological developments in medical simulation is the use of Audio and Visual recording and debriefing systems. These systems create incredibly realistic training conditions, designed to be flexible and meet the needs of each clinical scenario. The recordings provide tutors and students with a debriefing facility that allows for evaluation and assessment of the processes.
SIMStation is the best option for your Health Simulation Suite. SIMStation’s AV simulation systems provide realistic, controlled and goal-oriented simulation training, that delivers everything you need.
The state-of-the-art hardware and technically advanced software is very simple to set-up. SIMStation take you through all the steps to achieving your perfect Health Suite Simulation set-up.
SIMStation Enterprise is a fully customisable product, designed to meet the needs of each college’s individual requirements. Whatever size building, configuration of space or numbers of students you have, all needs can be met using this highly flexible system.
SIMStation’s software allows for the targeted recording, control and transmission of all your simulation data, giving you full transparency and evaluation of the simulation process.
Every debriefing player is also a transmission player. Simulations can be broadcast live to multiple rooms at the same time.
In addition, you have the option to export your recordings in a cross-platform video format which gives you the ability to produce training videos. Your simulation videos can be stored as files ready to be edited and used online for remote learning.
Find out more about the potential of SIMStation here
The realism of this award-winning Geriatric simulator needs to be seen, to be believed. TERi moves and feels just like an elderly patient, perfect for practising the skills needed for dignified geriatric care.
Students can practise supporting activities of daily living including bathing, clothing changes and hearing aid placement.
TERi also allows students to respond to acute medical emergencies, with the ability to practise injections, CPR, auscultation and oxygen administration.
With an interactive immersive space, you can bring your T-Level Health curriculum to life.
How does an Interactive Immersive Space work?
Using multiple high definition laser projectors, a 360 degree still or moving image is beamed onto all four walls of a room and even the floor, turning your classroom into a lifesize, interactive learning experience.
Using either predefined roleplay scenarios or ones bespoke to your course content, you can use the immersive space technology to create a realistic training environment, featuring a hospital ward, a patient’s home or the inside of an ambulance. Whatever scenarios you need for your teaching.
This technology can then be combined with simulation equipment such as manikins to create a Mixed Reality (MR) learning environment.
The Gener8 Immersive Software, also allows you to teach students the anatomy and physiology elements of your T-Level Health course in a fully interactive way.
Take a look to see what's possible
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At Sim & Skills, we can help you achieve more with less.
]]>The range of products and equipment you could purchase is vast, so how do you know you’re getting the right equipment, to provide your students with the clinical skills they need to progress into the healthcare workforce?
The other consideration when sourcing equipment is budget. Although funding is available, with any new course, it’s difficult to know how many students will enrol, placing limits on the amount of money available for medical simulation equipment.
At Sim & Skills, we understand how tight budgets can be and we aim to provide industry-standard equipment that is affordable and accessible.
These are our Top 5 products to allow you to do more with less. Great value simulation equipment and training models that support the teaching of multiple clinical skills.
Nursing Simulation Training Starter Kit
This comprehensive training kit comes with hyper-realistic anatomical models which can be used individually or with manikins.
Included in the kit are both male and female catheterisation trainers, injection pads, a blood glucose test trainer and moulage wound care tattoos.
The Simulation starter kit allows students to learn individually or in small groups.
The kits are available in light and dark skin tones.
Basic Buddy CPR Manikin Multipacks with optional CPR feedback
The Basic Buddy CPR manikin is robust, light-weight with an easy-to-clean durable plastic head.
Simple to assemble and anatomically correct with palpable landmarks for hand placement and compressions.
This manikin set is available with different options including 5 adults and 5 infant manikins. This economical option allows you to provide each student with their own CPR manikin.
TERi Geriatric Patient Simulator
The realism of this award-winning Geriatric simulator needs to be seen, to be believed. TERi moves and feels just like an elderly patient, perfect for practising the skills needed for dignified geriatric care.
Students can practise supporting activities of daily living including bathing, clothing changes and hearing aid placement.
TERi also allows students to respond to acute medical emergencies, with the ability to practise injections, CPR, auscultation and oxygen administration.
Deluxe Dual Sex Human Muscle Torso Model
This dual-sex torso is a complete tool for teaching human anatomy.
Featuring all the major organs, as well as superficial and deep muscles, the torso has exchangeable male and female genitals.
The 6-part head allows students to discover the internal structures of the brain.
Students can study the vertebrae, spinal cord and spinal nerves and explore the intestinal tract.
SimScreen Standard Simulation Panel
The SimScreen Simulation panel is an affordable way to create a mobile Simulation Suite.
Cost-effective and portable, it facilitates effective observation, patient communication and teaching during medical simulation.
The SimScreen uses Mirrorpane, commonly known as a 'two-way mirror' and gives students the opportunity for independent clinical decision-making without relying on cues from the tutor.
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