Ferris State University Nursing students test their cardiopulmonary resuscitation
skills on “Manikins,” training devices recently acquired through receipt of a Merit
Grant from The Ferris Foundation.
Ferris State University’s College of Health Professions is further promoting proper cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills thanks to a Merit Grant from The Ferris Foundation to support the purchase of “Manikin” devices.
“I read a medical journal entry that explained nurses and others who are required to maintain biennial CPR certification often post inconsistent results when their skill sets are tested,” Nursing Lab Coordinator Lenna Westerkamp said. “We applied for the grant to provide our students and other contacts the opportunity to stay in best practice.”
Using the $7,500 grant, Westerkamp purchased several devices and complementary technology to provide real-time feedback on user response effectiveness.
“Each Manikin reports the rate of compressions that are applied, the depth of that push against the chest area and the recoil resulting from the resuscitation effort,” Westerkamp said. “The Bluetooth units in each device help us assess and address flaws in a participant’s response and give our students a chance to compete as their scores are displayed while they build their skills as caregivers.”
Westerkamp said Nursing students had a practice session in late June to familiarize themselves with the devices. Plans include making the units regularly available to the public in early July.
“We know that only one in four people will attempt CPR if the need arises in a public setting,” Westerkamp said. “When cardiac arrest occurs outside of a hospital or medical office, there is a 90 percent likelihood that person will pass away. We want to make sure our Nursing students are familiar with and practiced in CPR while we take up community outreach that can truly save lives.”