Simulations prepare team for emergency births

 

Last July, soon-to-be father Alex Ye called North York General Hospital's (NYGH) Labour and Delivery Unit because his wife Wei Li, 39 weeks pregnant, was experiencing pain and spotting. The unit secretary suggested Alex bring his wife to the hospital's 24-hour assessment room for closer observation.

Alex and Wei arrived and began the assessment with a registered nurse (RN) and later with an obstetrician. Alex can still remember feeling his heart sink when the obstetrician explained the baby's heart rate was unstable and an emergency caesarian section was needed. Clinical expertise combined with ongoing simulation training, played a significant role in the care Alex's baby and wife received.

Baby Aaron Ye
Baby Aaron Ye


Shortly after baby Aaron was born, he was quickly moved to a neonatal resuscitation warmer where he was intubated so fluid could be removed from his mouth and he could be stabilized. “Everything happened so quickly,” Alex said. “But we were kept informed throughout the journey and felt confident in our team to help bring our new family together.”

By early afternoon, baby Aaron was snug in his parents' arms in the Tippet Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after a long, emotional morning.

To ensure our health care teams are prepared for complex births like baby Aaron's, NYGH's simulation lab provides hands-on training, education and certification in a safe teaching environment. NOELLE®, a birthing simulator, and HAL®, a neonatal simulator, are “high-tech” tools used to mirror real labour and delivery situations. 
Alex Ye, Wei Li and baby Aaron
Mother Wei Li, baby Aaron Ye and father Alex Ye

“Simulated scenarios are dynamic, complex and can change based on how the team performs,” says Jaime Charlebois, RN and Obstetrical Simulation Coordinator. “With NOELLE® we can simulate over 28 preprogrammed obstetric scenarios including mock codes and variations in fetal heart tracings. With HAL® we can simulate over 20 preprogrammed neonatal scenarios.”

Participants reported improvements in their knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork and communication. “Through these training and learning opportunities, our patients receive amazing care from a team that is confident in their skills, especially during a crisis,” Jaime adds. “Stories like Alex's demonstrate the real impact and benefits of experiential learning.”

To ensure our health care teams are prepared for complex births like baby Aaron's, NYGH's simulation lab provides hands-on training, education and certification in a safe teaching environment.
From left to right: Jaime Charlebois, RN/Obstetrical Simulation Coordinator); Patricia Wlodek, Clinical Nurse Educator for Maternal-Newborn; Dr. Jairaj J. Govan, Neonatologist; and Megan Vanderpluym, RN



Watch simulation training for a complex birth at North York General Hospital.

This article first appeared in the October 2015 issue of The Pulse.

To receive North York General Hospital's community newsletter, subscribe now. 

Share this article