Madison College’s EMS program has found a creative solution to enhance the realism of its training simulations. The college’s simulation instructor, Jeremy Ernst, has collaborated with fabric arts students to dress patient simulation manikins in various outfits. This initiative aims to provide a more authentic experience for students practicing lifesaving skills.
The project involves changing the clothing on manikins between scenarios to mimic real-world situations where patients wear different attire. “In the real world, every patient is going to be wearing something different,” Ernst explains. He emphasizes the importance of varying manikin clothing to ensure that students encounter diverse scenarios during their training.
However, dressing these lifelike but inflexible manikins poses challenges, especially given the high volume of simulations conducted across Madison College’s five district campuses. With over 80 high-fidelity manikins and 27 simulation rooms, keeping up with frequent wardrobe changes can be demanding.
To address this issue, Ernst sought assistance from Mary Braucht, a fabric arts instructor at Madison College. He proposed that her students modify donated clothes by adding zippers for easier dressing and undressing of the manikins. The goal was also to replicate the style of expensive manufacturer-sold manikin clothes.
Braucht embraced the collaboration and organized a volunteer event in May where twelve students participated in a “sewdown.” They successfully modified 58 garments with sewing machines and zippers. “It was a very successful sewing day with lots of good vibes all day long,” Braucht noted.
The newly tailored clothes have not only enhanced the appearance of the SIM manikins but also provided significant cost savings for the program. Ernst highlighted that this effort would save money on purchasing overpriced manikin clothing while adding realism and creativity to simulations.
Ernst values this partnership as it fosters collaboration between different school programs: “It allows two completely different school programs to work together and help each other out!”
