By Nikki Cabus

Broward College’s Health Sciences Simulation Center is leveling up their OB training for nursing using mixed reality

The Broward College Health Sciences Simulation Center is leveling up their obstetrical training for nursing students by turning to the one woman they knew could handle the job: VICTORIA.

VICTORIA® S2200, to be exact.

A medical mannequin designed by the Miami-based medical training company and industry leader of simulation technology for healthcare education, Gaumard Scientific, is behind the technology used in VICTORIA® S2200.

The mannequin is a top-of-the-line, totally comprehensive birthing simulator. VICTORIA comes equipped with a bevy of tools and software services designed to help improve patient safety in women’s health through education and training. As part of the Broward College SIM Center mannequin lineup, she has already helped to facilitate teamwork and deepen critical thinking skills in learners of all levels.

The Broward College Health Sciences Simulation Center (HSSC) is a state-of-the-art educational facility that models a hospital setting. Designed to provide students with a safe learning environment where they transfer their understanding of theory into hands-on practice, the HSSC offers the opportunity for students to practice in realistic simulations the development of decision-making skills, the reduction of errors, and the improvement of communication and teamwork.

Managed by Dr. Lilia Chavarria, district director of Broward College, the Simulation Center has already provided aspiring healthcare students with more than 80,000 simulations on various medical training devices and mannequins. But when the center received its VICTORIA S2200 medical training mannequin in September of 2022, Dr. Chavarria knew they had acquired the gold standard of obstetric training.

“From early pregnancy complications, high-risk deliveries, and postpartum emergencies to non-gravid scenarios for general nursing care, VICTORIA simulates a full range of obstetrical situations,” said Dr. Chavarria. “More than a childbirth simulator, VICTORIA is a complete simulation solution developed from decades of obstetrical experience. She is a comprehensive package of tools and support designed to help improve patient safety in women’s health through education and training.”

After all, VICTORIA is much more than a training mannequin. Engineers at Gaumard Scientific have equipped her with the latest medical training technology, including interactive eyes and automatic visual object tracking; a fully programmable airway; and true-to-life shoulder dystocia, breech, and C-section deliveries. VICTORIA even births a lifelike, full-term baby featuring programmable vitals for Apgar scoring. Students can also tether VICTORIA to monitoring equipment such as an EKG, capnography, defibrillator, and pulse oximeter for even more realistic training.

What’s more, VICTORIA’s mixed reality feature uses holographic visualization to allow students to see inside VICTORIA and observe the physiological process of birth.

In 2021 with the release of VICTORIA®, Gaumard Scientific announced that CoObstetric MR™ technology was honored in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards in the Learning category. To view a video that demonstrates Obstetric MR in use, click here.

Obstetric MR is a next-generation mixed reality training solution designed to help learners bridge the gap between theory and practice faster than ever before. Comprised of a Microsoft HoloLens 2 preloaded with proprietary software for the VICTORIA S2200 maternal and neonatal patient care simulator, Obstetric MR provides an unparalleled training tool for medical schools, nursing schools, and hospitals worldwide. This new mixed reality system uses advanced holographic imaging technology that allows the wearer to see inside VICTORIA and observe the dynamic physiology and anatomy underlying child birth deliveries.

Obstetric MR brings digital learning content into the physical simulation exercise, allowing participants to link knowledge and skill through an entirely new hands-on learning experience. The future of labor and delivery simulation has arrived at the simulation center.

“Gaumard has harnessed mixed reality technology to bring healthcare education to a new level – bridging the physical and digital world,” stated James Archetto, Gaumard’s Vice President, U.S. Direct Sales.

“Obstetric MR technology synchronizes precisely anatomically detailed holograms with the physical world to enable learners to interact with mother and baby in an extensive range of birthing scenarios that learners may never encounter until clinical practice, providing an unparalleled learning experience.”

Gaumard Scientific is recognized by health care educators and students worldwide for its commitment to innovation with the development of the most advanced patient simulation technology. Gaumard designs and manufactures simulators at its global headquarters in Miami and markets them directly in the U.S. as well as through distributors in 70 countries. Gaumard’s customer base includes militaries, emergency medical services, major teaching hospitals and nursing schools.

VICTORIA couldn’t have arrived at a better time. It has become increasingly clear that health care training is more critical now than ever. Per a report by WLRN, the South Florida community is facing an acute nursing shortage, with the Florida Hospital Association predicting a shortfall of 59,100 nurses by 2035. Fortunately, Broward College has stepped up to provide the healthcare workers of tomorrow and train them with the best tools available, including VICTORIA.

As recently announced, Broward College is also offering healthcare nursing training through their new Sunshine Health Training Center in the City of Lauderhill. Broward College’s BrowardUP and Sunshine Health are collaborating on this new initiative that will brighten the career landscape of the City and pave the way for a unique educational facility that will equip residents with the skills necessary to thrive in the health care job marketplace, one of the most in-demand career fields. This is just one other example of the impact that Broward College is making in healthcare education and training.

As the largest provider of higher education programs in Broward County, Broward College is committed to fostering and achieving success for all students. The College has been recognized by the Aspen Institute three times consecutively as one of the nation’s top ten Community Colleges of Excellence for its outstanding commitment to student success and equitable student outcomes.

Dr. Chavarria said these students were ready and eager to meet the challenge of adapting to new technology.

“The transition has been seamless,” she said. “We have excellent simulation specialists at the forefront of the latest technology and genuinely want to work with our students. The learners and the staff absolutely love the experience. “The nursing students love the technology, which fits well with the younger generation of students,” said Dr. Chavarria. “This is by far the World’s Most Lifelike Childbirth Simulator.”

VICTORIA, so it seems, has found a home at Broward College. For now, she will continue to help Broward College nursing students hone their obstetric skills before taking their training into the real world, to the benefit of birthing patients across South Florida. VICTORIA, quite simply, is a lifesaver.

To learn more about Broward College’s Health Sciences Simulation Center, visit https://www.broward.edu/simcenter/