KEYSER, W. Va. — To enhance the educational experience of nursing students, the West Virginia University School of Nursing Keyser Campus recently unveiled a new high fidelity manikin. Equipped with a fetus to teach proper prepartum, labor, delivery and postpartum care, as well as clinical situations unrelated to maternity, the manikin will assist students in practicing hands-on patient care in a simulated setting.
The Keyser Campus, located at WVU Potomac State College, hosted a naming contest for the manikin among nursing students and Potomac State students, with Dr. Cynthia Persily, former Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences at West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission making the final selection and announcement. The names “Bertha D. Bebe” and “Baby Jill,” a nod to Gov. Jim Justice’s daughter, were revealed Sept. 29 during a special ceremony.
The purchase of the manikin was made possible through funding provided by the Governor’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. In the 2022 grant allocation, WVU School of Nursing’s five campuses received a collective $2 million to support nursing recruitment, retention and education.
“Simulation is such a critical part of nursing education, so we are extremely grateful for the funding that made this purchase possible,”, said Dr. April Shapiro, Keyser Campus Chair. “Bertha and Baby Jill are vital members of our manikin family to enhance our students' clinical judgments skills in providing obstetric care.”
Shapiro said with Bertha's augmented reality capabilities and the use of their new Microsoft HoloLens devices, students can see into the womb to have a deeper understanding of complicated fetal positions and how emergencies evolve.
“This new manikin will be a true asset for our nursing students as they learn about obstetrics and gynecology,” said Dr. Tara Hulsey, WVU School of Nursing Dean and E. Jane Martin Endowed Professor. “Through the Governor’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program, each of our five campuses have received the support necessary to grow our student base and graduate highly skilled and compassionate nurses needed to alleviate the shortage.”
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CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu