THEY bleed, vomit, cry and have a habit of talking back to undergraduate students.
They are the $120,000, state of the art mannequins in La Trobe University Albury-Wodonga campus’ new simulation program.
Sim Man and Sim Mum are taking emergency training to a new level on the Border as they put undergraduate students through their paces.
Health professionals from Myrtleford, Beechworth, Wangaratta and Yackandandah yesterday discovered how crucial the mannequins can be at the launch of the university’s Clinical Simulation Learning Centre.
“It’s not just undergraduates and nurses taking advantage of them,” La Trobe simulation educator Christine Thwaites said.
“We’ve also had doctors, physios, pharmacists, dentists and midwives learn from them.”
La Trobe’s health sciences building has had the mannequins since September, thanks to $900,000 of funding from Health Workforce Australia.
The mannequins are easily transported and have so far been hugely popular because of their life-like characteristics which include blinking eyes, breathing and a pulse.