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Training Nurses With Virtual Veins

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the watch-where-you're-pointing-that-thing dept.

meganthom writes "UK Haptics is developing a virtual hand to help nurses learn how to draw blood and put in IVs in a realistic manner. Though plastic models are currently used, these do not give new nurses the 'feel' for how much pressure to apply to the needle, and they cannot alert the nurse about pain. The system currently under development, which uses haptics, would make the learning experience considerably more realistic, even telling the nurse when too much pressure was applied."

3 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Where were these 2 years ago? by tao_of_biology · · Score: 4, Insightful
    OK, my wife just graduated from nursing school a couple of years ago... which means I've had blood drawn and IV's started at least two dozen times... and a majority of those were done very very poorly.

    I swear, I looked like a total friggin' addict. I heard to wear sweaters to keep that crap covered up on my arms for like 2 years.

    Apparently, citrus fruits make a good replacement for human veins. She spent a lot of time practicing on oranges, grapefruits and whatnot.

    I hope, for all husbands and roommates everywhere, that these come out soon and that they're very very cheap.

    --

    -- "A chicken is an egg's way of making another egg."

  2. How silly by wolfemi1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My mother is a nurse. This will NEVER be as cheap, or as realistic, as having the students practice on each other, like she did in medical school.

  3. Re:Nice by BrookHarty · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My wife said they would practice on each other, drawing blood in class, thats how they got experience.

    Now my wife is working, she stated docters hate giving shots, and only the people certified can give shots. And with the current trend to hire 1 nurse to 10 medical assistants, you better hope some have experience.