VIDEO: Hospital staff train on 'dummy' patient simulator

WATCH THE VIDEO (1 available - click to expand)

Video 1

Freda is quite unlike any patient that Wexham Park Hospital staff have come across before.
She is, in fact, a mannequin which acts as a patient simulator for nurses to practise their skills in various medical scenarios - without the fear of harming the patient.

Freda, as she has been affectionately named, is based at Thames Valley University in Slough and for the past few months hospital staff have been brushing up on their skills by going on two-day simulation courses.

Powered by a complex computer system, the mannequin simulates breathing, talking, she has a pulse, can take on fluids and even urinate. But if staff do not treat her symptoms correctly, she can deteriorate and simulate 'death'.

Instructors take part in the role play scenarios and play devils' advocate to test the staff to their limits.

Practice development nurse Sandra Walden, one of the course instructors, said: "The biggest benefit to staff is we can let her die - if you are working with staff on the ward you have to intervene if the patients' safety or quality of care is at risk. Here we can let them make mistakes and learn from them."

Our web video team went along to film Freda in use on one of the two day courses. 

Watch a medical 'scenario' using the patient simulator in our video report above.