'SIM Mom' Illustrates Childbirth for DCC Nursing Students

January 23, 2023

Local News

SIM Mom is a state-of-the-art childbirth simulator mannequin who recreates the process for second-year nursing students prior to their clinical rotations in a real obstetrical setting. During the simulated birth, students check pain levels and monitor blood pressure, fetal heart rate, and contractions. Jennifer Goodman, MSN, RN served as the simulation coordinator, working in the control room during the demonstration. Jennifer Bowen, MSN, RN, and Shelby Rigsby, BSN, RN, facilitate the exercise for the students at the bedside.

“As our students progress through the program, we want to ensure that they feel educated and confident in any scenario they find themselves in, whether during clinical education or post-graduation,” said Bowen. “Simulations like this one allow students to witness childbirth for the first time from the nurse perspective without the pressures of being in a real-life delivery room setting.”

As the simulation progresses, students experience the realities of actual childbirth as the SIM Mom mannequin projects realistic sounds like heavy breathing, pain responses, and vocalizations.

“It’s a very realistic experience,” said Goodman. “The students receive feedback from the SIM Mom Mannequin in real time from vocalizations and vital signs. As they receive this feedback, they are coaching breathing, pushing, and ultimately, the students deliver a SIM baby.”

The SIM Mom Childbirth Simulator Mannequin was purchased for DCC’s Nursing Program in 2022 by the Danville Community College Educational Foundation using $60,000 in funds from a generous alumni donor.

“Nursing simulators have become very expensive and without the continued investments made at the DCC Educational Foundation by our donors, the student learning opportunity that we witnessed today would not have been possible,” said Shannon Hair, Vice President of Institutional Advancement for DCC and Executive Director of the DCC Educational Foundation.