(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Imagine a scenario of being placed on a call in a fast-paced, life-changing situation to save a patient’s life.
The Emergency Medical Services program at Texas State Technical College recently introduced three Lifecast medical manikins to provide a new sense of realism for educational purposes and training.
Previously students had to use their imagination regarding chapter discussions. Medical manikins help bridge the gap for students and bring a sense of awareness to what they might see on call.
Justice Fuerte, a TSTC Emergency Medical Technician student, added that working with the new manikins is a realistic learning experience.
“When you give air to this manikin, the chest rises up,” she said.
Salvador Acevedo, a TSTC Emergency Medical Services instructor, said the department has been able to utilize the manikins for teaching advanced cardiac life support.
“The outcomes are great because students assess patients better than a regular manikin,” he said. “When we do certification skills for advanced cardiac life support, we teach the students how to go through an algorithm and figure out what needs to happen next in the chain of command to gain a better outcome for the patient.”
Ezequiel Delatorre, a TSTC Emergency Medical Technician student in his first semester, noted that the program is very challenging.
“In the training simulator, you can really feel the resistance in the manikin’s chest when performing CPR,” he said. “It is definitely a surreal experience.”
The manikins will be used in an immersive classroom simulation in January. They will be incorporated into scenarios to enhance the experience and tap into a student’s visual, hearing and smell senses. Acevedo also plans to invite industry partners into the training and work hand in hand with other partners for field experience.
The TSTC Emergency Medical Services program prides itself on making sure that its graduates are ready for their first call.
According to onetonline.org, the need for paramedics and emergency medical technicians is expected to grow 11% by 2028.
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paramedic, as well as several certificates of completion.
For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
