Delivery Mannequin Helps Labor Nurses Prepare For Difficult Births

DENVER (CBS4)- A mannequin used during delivery room scenarios gives student nurses the opportunity to master their techniques when faces with a difficult birth.

Denver has only one of the nine life-like mannequins being used across the nation.

Student nurses at the Denver School of Nursing are using the mannequin they call "Victoria" to become better labor and delivery nurses.

"She is amazing. We are just in the beginning of understanding what she can do," said Nurse and Midwife Katy Silker.

Silker teaches the nursing students all the steps associated with bringing a baby into the world. She said using Victoria to demonstrate the risks and unanticipated problems with delivery helps better prepare nurses for the actual delivery room.

"It really opened up a lot of doors as far as how we can really offer more of a real-life experience," said Silker.

Victoria has blinking eyes and a heart beat that can be monitored.

In a neighboring room to the practice delivery room, an operator runs all the elements of Victoria's labor from a computer.

"Victoria, the baby is coming... Good job!" said one nurse.

Victoria isn't the only life-like mannequin, the baby she is carrying is also designed to appear similar to a newborn.

"It moves as it delivers, it can cry," said Silker.

The nursing students interact with Victoria as if she was a real patient. Eventually the nurses will be ready to give that care to mothers and their newborns.

"It's really going to help them be better nurses and to just feel more confident when they are out in the workforce," said Silker.

LINK: Denver School of Nursing