Did anybody buy a nursing mannikin to practice skills at home?

[strawberryluv]

I took a semester off because I was probably going to fail clinical. It was my first semester of my senior year and I was doing well in the theory course but not doing well on the clinical.

I am retaking that course again in the Fall 2014 but besides for taking up

a job as a CNA in a long-term care facility- I have not had the chance to do any of my RN nursing skills. I'm scared that come time to retake the course and its clinical, I will be rusty

and not do well again.

So, I thought it would be an interesting idea to purchase one of those nursing mannikins

like in the nursing lab. I think it would be neat to have my very own mannikin to practice skills on.

What do you guys think of this idea? Do you recommend this? Or, if you guys have known someone who failed out on their second to last semester of a BSN program but retook it and succeeded, could you tell me what they did to turn things around the 2nd time?

[smf0903]

My nursing school had the most terrifying medical dummies EVER. It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever purchase one of them to practice on. I'm pretty sure I'd hear creaking floorboards and heavy breathing during the night. Pictured: one of our actual dummies/nightmare fuel. We called him Gary Busey (but only when he was out of earshot, out of pure fear).

My advice? Stick with youtube videos for the basics.

That is hilarious Sounds like a bad, low-budget horror movie LOL Most of our manikins are named after members of the BeeGees LOL

[michelleh913, NP]

My nursing school had the most terrifying medical dummies EVER. It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever purchase one of them to practice on. I'm pretty sure I'd hear creaking floorboards and heavy breathing during the night. Pictured: one of our actual dummies/nightmare fuel. We called him Gary Busey (but only when he was out of earshot, out of pure fear).

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My advice? Stick with youtube videos for the basics.

I believe we have a Gary Busey at my school also. : )

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

Thanks for your comments and tips for this thread. I actually planned on buying it from ebay

but someone got to it before I did so I bought one on amazon.

Amazon.com: Demonstration Human Manikin for Nursing Medical Training, Female, Life Size: Industrial & Scientific

It cost me about $350 but its an investment.

I actually thought about it, but didn't. One time I made one with a drawn-in balloon face , pillows and a stuffed shirt. However, nursing is all about people and the sooner you get used to doing stuff on real people the better. Be it your spouse, siblings or whoever just grab someone and practice on them. I do understand that sometimes its beneficial to just be by yourself and go through the steps. Keep it in good condition so hopefully you can sell it back to amazon when you done practicing.

[504 medic]

If you want a full body, to practice assessments on, buy a set of coveralls from good will, and a bunch of used towels. Staple the cuffs shut and stuff your patient when you need to practice, then you'll have a set of gettin' dirty clothes and a whole bunch of guest towels when you don't want to practice. Especially with patient assessments, neuro assessments, etc. it's critical to physically go through the motions as well as mental run down your checklist. That muscle memory will save your butt when you get distracted, be it with something unexpected you discover, or with something that happens in the room...that an leaving a hand on the part where you left off, or keeping your hand pointed at it while you think/talk. If you want needle control, you don't need an expensive arm...that will just teach you how to spike a vein in that particular arm. Practice insertion technique on a peach, or a pigs foot...but thank about veins...learn their tricks, how they roll, how you stop that, how to find them when you can't see them. And for all that, you need to touch real people. As many varieties of friends as you have, use them. Look at/touch their ACs, their forearms, the backs of their hands. They won't mind.

[christina731]

My nursing school had the most terrifying medical dummies EVER. It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever purchase one of them to practice on. I'm pretty sure I'd hear creaking floorboards and heavy breathing during the night. Pictured: one of our actual dummies/nightmare fuel. We called him Gary Busey (but only when he was out of earshot, out of pure fear).

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My advice? Stick with youtube videos for the basics.

That is totally nightmare fuel!! Although the ones we have at school are creepy, they aren't that bad. Holy moly I would be scared to death if I walked into lab at school and saw that!