Students trained on digital technologies at Manawa

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Picture: Stella Ward (left) and Becky Hickmott in a clinical simulation room

eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Student nurses in Christchurch are being trained on Canterbury District Health Board’s clinical IT systems at a new health research and education facility in the city.

Manawa is a partnership between the Canterbury DHB, Ara Institute of Canterbury and the University of Canterbury and houses technologies such as virtual reality, video conferencing and a clinical simulator.

CDHB nurse manager workforce development Becky Hickmott shows eHealthNews.nz a training room where students are trained on test systems before going on placement at a CDHB facility.

She says the training means they are familiar with the systems and any issues with their logins are sorted out before they hit the clinical space, where there is little time and capability to help them. Previously, any problems could take days to solve.

“We get them work ready for when they go into the clinical space,” says Hickmott.

Manawa also houses a Hartwell Simulator, developed by a team headed by Christchurch Hospital anaesthetic specialist Daniel Hartwell.

It is a low-cost, highly realistic clinical simulator that plugs into everyday medical equipment within an organisation’s own environment. It is being commercialised by the CDHB.

Most simulators use mock monitors designed to look like the real thing, whereas Hartwell has tested the simulator in surgical theatres, the intensive care unit, ambulances and a medical transport helicopter.

CDHB chief digital officer Stella Ward says the simulator could ultimately be connected to an organisation’s IT systems to give students exposure to those in a clinical setting.

Ara has also built a virtual training environment for medical imaging.

Students use virtual reality headsets to practice positioning patients and equipment for MRI and CT scans. A live birth model is also being developed.

Hickmott says students can book the VR room at any time and are often seen practicing after hours.

“It’s about positioning and getting the equipment right, so it feels like a real environment,” says Hickmott.

Manawa has been blessed, but not officially opened. It has around 600 students already based there, with that expected to rise to 2,000 next year.

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