RANT: Training mannequins/dummies should be obese to better reflect what our actual patients are like

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Lexdiamondz

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Kinda silly yes but I just finished this "skills course" the academic site I occasionally work at hosted for procedures/skill retention (mostly for full time faculty who rarely do them) and, after doing a couple "difficult airways" on the dummies I'm wondering why we train and practice on dummies modelled after 19 year old guys with 8% body-fat? Save for traumas, exactly zero of the last 20 or so patients I've done an invasive procedure on have had anything even remotely resembling a normal BMI - if anything they look more like Jabba the Hutt than Han Solo.

Any of the sim/med ed folks look into getting more realistic mannequins?
 
Kinda silly yes but I just finished this "skills course" the academic site I occasionally work at hosted for procedures/skill retention (mostly for full time faculty who rarely do them) and, after doing a couple "difficult airways" on the dummies I'm wondering why we train and practice on dummies modelled after 19 year old guys with 8% body-fat? Save for traumas, exactly zero of the last 20 or so patients I've done an invasive procedure on have had anything even remotely resembling a normal BMI - if anything they look more like Jabba the Hutt than Han Solo.

Any of the sim/med ed folks look into getting more realistic mannequins?
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It even comes with a “find the penis tutorial” and incurable pannus rash.
 
The first Foley I ever placed was on a 700lb woman in the ICU, when I was a resident. There were two people on each side holding up the pannus.

Also, when on my surgery month in residency, I think now that I was set up to fail. Dude is in a wheelchair with both legs cut off from DM. Chief resident tells me to put in a Foley. I follow with my fingers and get it in. After, the Chief said I probably made a false passage, and, the last time, uro had to use the camera to get it in. WTAF? They had to use the camera, so you casually let me try?
 
Maybe not but it's still the best thing I've seen on SDN this year
It should 100% be a thing. I mean, the entire healthcare training environment could benefit from it.

CNA students could learn how to turn it.
Nursing students could try to put in a Foley or an IV.
Med students/residents etc could learn how to tube it (seriously...just crich it), put in a CVL, position it for an LP, etc.
Social work students could learn how to interview the average hospitalized patient and find out what it needed for discharge planning.
 
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