A mannequin that groans, bleeds and can 'die'

Paramedicine students (from left) Simon Watts, Stephanie Barrell and Junior Sione work on a dummy. Photo / Dean Purcell

He groans, he bleeds and if things go really wrong, he can even die on the table.

A $150,000 mannequin named "Thomas" is a shining star of the new paramedicine department of AUT University's Manukau campus.

The unit opened this year to bring facilities closer to the Maori and Pacific community it hopes to attract, with state-of-the-art training suites including simulation rooms and a full-sized ambulance, plus several mannequins that add real-life intensity - without the risk.

"You couldn't very well practise this on a real person," says the head of paramedicine, Paul Davey, as he gestures at the mannequin, which has just lost its lower leg in a pretend logging accident and is bleeding all over the floor.

"But when our students graduate this could be the first job they go to - or they might not get it for five years."

The paramedicine department has two of the high fidelity mannequins, which can be used to simulate almost any real-life situation. Lecturers control the dummy through a one-way screen, making it speak through a microphone, raising the heart-rate, dropping blood pressure, forcing a lung to collapse or organs to fail, as students work to save the "patient". Liquid can be pumped through tubes to simulate blood.

"It's really realistic," says third-year student Stephanie Barrell, 22. "We definitely benefit from having the technology. And it's also better from a patient's point of view."

The paramedicine department was previously based on the North Shore. Moving to South Auckland meant it was closer to St John, where students undertake placement, and to the airport, so those coming for block courses don't have to travel so far.

The shift has seen the student intake double to 1460 this year. It included an increase in Maori and Pacific students, which Mr Davey said was important for AUT's goal of training paramedics across demographics.

"We want to be able to have the right person in the right place at the right time - people that reflect the community."

Dummy run
• Two $150,000 high fidelity mannequins bought by AUT.

• Used in the new paramedicine unit in South Auckland.

• Lecturers control the dummies from behind one-way screens during tests.