The use of simulation mannequins in education

The use of increasingly highfidelity mannequins has become a central part of most simulation systems in emergency health care training. Should these expensive resources have any place in paramedic education or are we placing too much trust in convention when we could be focusing both our money and energy elsewhere?

‘ The use of increasingly highfidelity mannequins has become a central part of most simulation systems in emergency health care training ’

Simulation-using mannequins offers an educator the ability to replicate objective encounters several times with relatively few resources once the equipment is purchased. Walk around any large hospital and you will eventually come across their simulation or training department. Within these areas are often found expensive, high-fidelity mannequins able to replicate physiological measurements, injuries or disease patterns to represent a huge range of clinical encounters. Hosted in a replica resuscitation bay, it is easy to see why such a realistic simulation would be valuable for developing staff in hospitals. Like much of paramedic practice that has developed over recent years, the profession often looks outside for guidance. The value of simulation in training for hospital staff has been well established in literature for a long period (Cooper and Taqueti, 2004). Indeed, attend any final assessment days within a paramedic programme and you will most likely see students nervously performing advanced resuscitation skills over well used simulation mannequins as part of their final examinations. But do these methods offer a valid solution for paramedic simulation?