Nursing College Simulation Mannequin Capital Project

Introduction: The Role of Simulation Mannequins in Nursing Education

The simulation mannequin is an important part of nursing training and a valuable asset to any nursing college. The cost of the mannequin in question is $10,000 — one of many pieces of equipment required for the operation of a high-quality nursing program. There is a considerable body of research supporting the use of high-quality simulation mannequins in medical training. One study found that 85% of students and educators viewed sessions with simulation mannequins favorably with respect to the overall education experience, and 80% of respondents in the same survey said they would recommend such mannequins "for all medical students" (Gordon et al., 2001). Other studies have achieved even higher levels of success; students indicated that mannequins allowed them to learn more effectively than studying from a text alone (Fernandez et al., 2007). There is further evidence suggesting that the use of such mannequins is just as valuable in nursing as in other medical professions (Henneman & Cunningham, 2005), particularly with respect to patient safety.

Educational Benefits and Competitive Advantages

High-fidelity mannequins offer several important benefits. First, they allow students to practice without risk, because no real patient is involved. A mistake does not harm anyone, making mannequins an effective learning tool — especially at the beginning levels of training, when the risk to actual patients would be significantly high (Gordon, 2001). Such tools are also becoming increasingly common; they are popular with both students and educators and represent an essential technology for modern medical education.

Nursing is a modern medical profession, and it stands to reason that there are specific competitive advantages — in addition to educational ones — associated with the use of simulation mannequins. Any nursing college that does not have a mannequin is unlikely to be viewed in the marketplace as providing the best education. Students are likely to hold this view, and so are employers. The school must meet the needs of both constituencies.

Financial Considerations

The cost of $10,000 is, in context, quite modest. Tuition for a single student can equal that amount, and the college serves hundreds of students. A simulation mannequin has a multi-year lifespan, placing the cost per student per year for a single mannequin somewhere in the range of $10. Not having a mannequin will likely cost the school more, in competitive terms, than the cost of purchasing one. From a financial perspective, forgoing a mannequin makes about as much sense as a dentist declining to purchase an X-ray machine.

At this time, there is no realistic expectation that a mannequin will generate traceable, incremental revenue. That is not how educational expenditures work. The school is not a retail operation selling a single asset directly. All of the school's assets — facilities, equipment, instructors, and curricula — are bundled into an educational experience, and it is that experience which is sold. Specific revenues cannot be attributed to specific training tools.

References

Fernandez, R., Parker, D., Kalus, J., Miller, D., & Compton, S. (2007). Using a human patient simulation mannequin to teach interdisciplinary team skills to pharmacy students. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 71(3), 51.

Gordon, J., Wilkerson, W., Schaffer, D., & Armstrong, E. (2001). Practicing medicine without risk: Students' and educators' responses to high-fidelity patient simulation. Academic Medicine, 76(5), 469–472.

Henneman, E., & Cunningham, H. (2005). Using clinical simulation to teach patient safety in an acute/critical care nursing course. Nurse Educator, 30(4), 172–177.