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WHAT’S NEW IN THE KGH “CRIB”?
EXCELLENCE IN PEDIATRIC CARE
WHAT’S NEW IN THE KGH “CRIB”?
These days, terms like “computer simulation” or “digital simulation” are pretty familiar…but baby simulation?
Thanks to donors, Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) is the new “crib” for a very special baby.
Meet SimBaby, a simulator that looks, feels, responds, and reacts just like a live toddler. SimBaby is designed to help healthcare providers effectively recognize and respond to critically ill pediatric patients.
From its weight, sounds and movement patterns, SimBaby is an incredibly powerful training tool to help healthcare providers address some of the most common medical issues facing pediatric patients, including respiratory issues, seizures, and situations requiring intubation. Clinicians can start an IV, assess vital signs, get real-time feedback on their CPR and ventilations, and then adjust and treat as necessary. SimBaby can even cry, which can add to both the stress and the realism of the scenario.
“Children can have different physiological responses to illness compared to adults,” explains Dr. Alysha Mackenzie-Feder, a KGH pediatrician. “If we can learn and practice how to more effectively recognize and respond to things like respiratory emergencies, shock, and cardiac arrest, we can improve our comfort, communication and knowledge when faced with taking care of a critically ill child.”
The SimBaby has been used extensively for education and team training at KGH since the spring of 2021, when several endowments established with the KGH Foundation made its acquisition possible.
“Our first training event involved the Emergency Department, where doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and many others participated in a simulation of a child involved in a motor vehicle accident,” shares Dr. Mackenzie-Feder. “This session helped to better coordinate all of the specialties working together, raised awareness of our supporting resources, and allowed us to further streamline pediatric trauma care at the hospital.”
The next training session took place in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where again, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists were able to practice caring for a young child with severe asthma. Just a day later, a young child was admitted to the ICU with severe asthma, and the training was put to the test. Having just participated in the simulation event, the team caring for that child was confident and well prepared to deliver the life-saving care needed.
“These simulation events are invaluable in the education that they provide, including the opportunities to come together as a team and work on communication and crisis resource management skills when the stakes aren’t as high,” says Dr. Mackenzie-Feder.
The Dean and Mary Miller Endowment, the Rutland Auxiliary Endowment, and similar endowed funds make the purchase of lifesaving equipment such as SimBaby possible.
We are grateful for the donors and their endowed funds which are responsible for bringing SimBaby to us and for helping us provide exemplary pediatric care at KGH.
- Dr. Alysha Mackenzie-Feder
