Popular around the Western world, medical simulation trains doctors by exposing them to “real life” scenarios through the use of high tech mannequins and dolls that “exhibit” symptoms. The dolls are also able to respond to the stimuli from the doctors.
The first installment of the course was taken by two senior doctors from the Weinstock Department of Emergency Medicine, two nurses also from the Department and Dr. Ofer Merin, Deputy Director General at Shaare Zedek. The team first travelled to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer where a two-day seminar focused on how the Shaare Zedek team could serve as educators to others in the hospital regarding the use of medical simulation.
Over the coming months, the plan is that up to 15 separate teams will be trained on the medical simulation dolls with each team consisting of a team leader, a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, an orthopedist and three trauma nurses.
Over the coming months, the plan is that up to 15 separate teams will be trained on the medical simulation dolls with each team consisting of a team leader, a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, an orthopedist and three trauma nurses.
According to Dr. Merin the objective of the program is “to enhance the hospital’s abilities in trauma care on the personal, teamwork and hospital levels.” On the personal level, the doll with its various responses is able to train medical practitioners to act that much more quickly to different scenario. In terms of teamwork, drilling with the doll gives the doctors and nurses the training to better interact with other staff and on the hospital level there is training to direct care via the different departments as necessary for the patient.
The course was held in the Kennedy Leigh Shock and Trauma Unit on the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Floor and mimicked real life conditions as closely as possible. The drill was videoed so as to allow the team to analyze their actions and be even better prepared for future drills and real events. According to Dr. Merin, this level of simulation is something which is critical for keeping medical staff ready for all types of major emergencies and in particular mass casualty incidents the likes of which Jerusalem has been forced to confront in recent years. “There is no doubt that the skills provided to us through these medical simulation dolls will significantly help with our emergency preparedness.”
Shaare Zedek is the first hospital in the Jerusalem area to have partnered with Tel Hashomer on this innovative program.
