Pictured: Infant manekin in the SimTiki Center. Deborah Manog Dimaya photo.
The University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine (UH JABSOM) and Kapiʻolani Community College (KapCC) are working together to help future paramedics gain confidence and skills in handling emergencies involving infants and children.
JABSOM and KapCC faculty have collaboratively developed and conducted its first Pre-Hospital Pediatric Paramedic Training Program to integrate with the KapCC’s established Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Program.
“Pediatric cases are such a small percentage of the cases they (paramedic students) are exposed to. This program gives them the opportunity to practice their skills in a controlled setting and get that kind of experience before they become certified paramedics,” said Dr. Dale Oda, KapCC Emergency Medical Services Program Director.
As an EMT for the City and County of Honolulu, most of Cyrus Camp’s field experience has involved adults so for him, learning with infant manikins in the UH Medical School’s “SimTiki” Simulation Center has boosted his confidence. Camp also appreciates the program’s focus on communication between the pre-hospital providers and emergency physicians.
“It’s useful for us (EMTs and paramedics) to get an idea of what the doctors are thinking so that we can adjust what we’re doing to help them with that continuum of patient care,” Camp said.
While working with the future paramedics, Dr. Jannet Lee-Jayaram, SimTiki Associate Director and JABSOM Assistant Professor, said she saw that spark in their eyes when they realized, “hey, what I do directly influences what the physicians and nurses are going to do and what I do is vitally important so I need to make sure I get all the information and that I can communicate the right information.”
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