Open image in fullscreen

Southern Adventist University’s School of Nursing is the first nursing school, and only the second healthcare program, in the United States to utilize the R42 Bariatric Manikin, newly released in 2024. The manikin provides nursing students with needed experience as they care for patients with different body types.

In the skills lab at Southern, manikins are used to allow students to practice a variety of tasks, including checking vital signs, inserting a nasal gastric tube, and changing the dressing on a wound.

“Our goal is always to simulate reality as much as we can,” explains Kerry Allen, associate professor and skills lab coordinator in the School of Nursing. “We want students to interact with manikins that mimic what they’re going to see in a hospital setting.”

Allen first saw R42 when she attended the International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare in January and gained approval to purchase it soon after. The name R42 references the 42% of Americans who are obese, with the manikin simulating a person weighing 300 pounds. It is 3D printed, with a realistic skin texture and fully articulated limbs.

This is Southern’s first manikin to simulate an obese body type, and it allows students to practice their skills in preparation for the situations they will face in the workplace. Allen explains that understanding different body types—and the skills needed in each situation—is beneficial for many of the tasks that nurses undertake, such as turning patients in the bed or changing the bedding while the bed is occupied. Students in Southern’s Fundamentals of Nursing course have already worked with R42 when learning about body mechanics, moving patients in their beds, and administering IV medications.

Because of Southern’s investment in learning, students have the chance to work with many patient types in the skills lab before they enter a hospital, better preparing them to work with real patients. The newest manikin is one more step in maintaining a strong program where students can learn the skills they need to succeed in their nursing careers.

---