Helicopter Simulator Trains Critical-Care Transport Nurses

A high-tech simulator built in an actual helicopter creates the sense of treating critically injured patients from takeoff to landing.

Designed for training acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) specializing in flight nursing at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH, USA), the helicopter features advanced medical equipment, authentic aerial views projected within the windows, and a range of movements that mimics changing altitudes and weather conditions throughout the flight. The simulator will allow ACNP students to learn the challenges of caring for critically ill and injured patients under triage from remote locations and difficult terrain.

The simulator is made from a retired Sikorsky S-76 helicopter fuselage, and has a passenger space that provides room for five occupants: the patient, up to three student flight nurses, and an instructor. The simulator is an exact replica of what the students will eventually fly in while treating patients, including being subjected to the movement, noise, temperature, vibration, and altitude that can affect a patient’s vital signs and other health conditions. The health-care equipment is identical to that used in actual critical care transport helicopters. An article describing the design process was published in the September 2014 issue of Clinical Simulation in Nursing.

“High-fidelity simulation can be instrumental in training inter-professional flight teams to improve competency through quality and safe patient care during medical transport that may otherwise take years to learn because of the inconsistency in real-life experience,” concluded study authors Celeste Alfes, DNP, MSN, RN, and Christopher Manacci, DNP. “The goal is to provide quality nursing and medical instruction in a simulated flight center while also presenting relevant clinical experiences for biomedical engineering students.”

The fuselage is also equipped with mock laser rotors, developed by Case Western Reserve biomedical engineering majors, so that students and their patients can learn to safely enter and exit the helicopter. When not used to train students, the simulator will be used to train military personnel for pre-deployment, those in the air medical industry, and emergency medical services (EMS) first responders.

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