Nurses train with robotic patients

Nurses are undertaking training with robotic patients that talk, breathe and move at new $5 million laboratories at the University of Technology in Sydney (UTS).

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek last week opened the nine new labs, which include both adult and infant simulation mannequins, to provide students with the “life-like” practical experience they need to complete clinical training.

The robotic simulation mannequins at UTS have realistic human features such as rising and falling chests, and heart and lung functions symptomatic of a range of health conditions.

“To provide students with a life-like experience, the robots display symptoms such as pain and, with the help of a technician, appear to speak, explaining their health condition as would a real patient,” Ms Plibersek said.

“Nurses and midwives are the backbone of our health system, providing clinical care and comfort to millions of Australian patients every year,” she added.

“This investment in better learning environments recognises the importance of nursing and its expanding role in caring for patients.”

The government was also helping to address nursing needs by providing clinical training to an additional 3,220 registered nurses in three years; supporting 1,000 new undergraduate nursing places each year; and supporting nurses to work in places of high need such as rural workplaces, aged care, primary care and emergency medicine.

UTS Vice Chancellor Professor Ross Milbourne said the University’s Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health was the largest of its kind in NSW and about 900 nursing and midwifery students would have access to the new labs each year.

“This laboratory development is considered world class; having nine clinical labs allows us to run all nursing and midwifery professional subject classes in realistic clinical settings,” he said.

“The use of practice-based learning including health simulation technology to better prepare our undergraduate nurses recognises the complexity and challenges that nurses face each day in hospitals and clinical practice around the country.”

As part of the commitment to deliver for future nursing needs, the Government is also delivering:

• $390 million in additional funding for 4,600 full-time nurse positions in GP clinics over four years. Clinics receive up to $25,000 a year to employ a registered nurse, allowing GPs to focus more on patients with complex needs.
• $82 million for nursing and midwifery scholarships over four years under the Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship Support Scheme, including nurses in hospitals and general practice.
• $32 million to deliver 3,000 locum placements for nurses and 400 allied health locum placements over four years under the Nursing and Allied Health Rural Locum Scheme.