IQALUIT - Until she began working at the hospital, fourth-year nursing student Melanie Lynch at Nunavut Arctic College had only practised listening to the heartbeats or taking the blood pressure of her classmates.

Second-year nursing students at Nunavut Arctic College, from left, Nancy Mike and Denise Romero listen to baby Hal's heartbeat. He is the newborn human patient simulator the school has acquired, which will help students prepare for the real world of nursing. - Emily Ridlington/NNSL photo

Now, students in the program will be able to practise these and other skills on two new human patient simulators named Hal and his mother Noelle.

"I think they are great learning tools," said Lynch.

Made by Gaumard Scientific, newborn baby Hal and Noelle blink, breath and have heartbeats. Noelle talks and can give birth allowing students the chance to learn about maternal care, childbirth and medical emergencies. All of this is programmed by a computer.

Nursing instructor Elissa Sakarsiassen said students might not get to see the steps of a birth and while the experience may be mechanical and simulated, it will prepare them for the future.

For second-year nursing student Denise Romero, the chance to practise what she had learned is a definite plus.

"We are a step ahead and very privileged," she said adding it allows her and her classmates to get comfortable working with patients.

Students can insert a catheter in Noelle and can take the blood pressure of both mother and baby. By experiencing these things in the classroom, Sakarsiassen said students learn in a safe environment.

"Everybody experiences the scenario, everybody can have the same learning experience," she said.

Noelle can also be used to train in Inuktitut. The instructor speaks through Noelle using a microphone and students have to talk and interact with the patient.

"The majority of our patients will be Inuit so it helps to learn how to assess someone and speak to them in Inuktitut," said Nancy Mike, second-year nursing student from Pangnirtung.

Her classmate Dianne Iyago from Baker Lake said while there are only a couple of students in the class who speak Inuktitut, it is good for the other students to begin to recognize words and read the patient's body language.

Iyago said by doing this elders and other patients will feel more comfortable.

The cost of this new technology is estimated at $70,000. Additional components can be added so students can conduct different tests.

Noelle and Hal join two other simulators made of hard plastic that are also used by the students.

"It is the addition of another learning experience before they get to the patient's bedside," Sakarsiassen said.

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