October 2023

'Pregnant' mannequin helps nurses maintain skills in Ascension Indiana

The use of a robotic “pregnant” mannequin, Maggie, to train labor and delivery nurses at Ascension St. Vincent Evansville in Indiana was featured recently by WFIE.

The mannequin can replicate talking, breathing and giving birth.

Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist Miranda Wahnsiedler said Maggie helps train nurses because with the mannequin “we have a ‘patient’ who has blood pressures and vital signs where we can practice medication administration and assessments and following … protocols.”

The mannequin has been in use for more than a year, but Ascension St. Vincent Evansville named last month Simulation September to emphasize the educational value of simulations and practice.

“When it comes to implementing [protocols] with a real person [nurses] had the opportunity to practice, to ask questions, to collaborate with providers and make sure they’re doing everything they can to follow the evidence as closely as possible to achieve the best outcomes for moms,” Miranda told WFIE.