Variety Club donates resuscitation dolls to promote hospital training

Clinical Midwife Educator at Manning Hospital, Julianne McDougall, says that new resuscitation dolls being donated to Manning and Gloucester Hospitals will be a wonderful addition to training equipment used to up-skill nursing staff working with newborn babies.

The resuscitation dolls are designed to simulate a newborn baby, allowing doctors and nurses to learn the skills needed to resuscitate a small baby in a safe environment.

Ms McDougall said the process of inflating a baby’s lungs at birth and helping their heart to start (CPR), is complex and requires regular training which this doll allows in a simulated fashion. She said it also allows practice in the advanced skills of putting a tube down a baby’s airway to help a baby breathe.

"On Sunday (18 May), we will have representatives from the Variety Club coming to Manning Hospital to make the presentation, which will be followed by a one and a half hour training session for Manning and Gloucester staff.

"John Hunter Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit specialist Dr Paul Craven, who is also a Variety Club member, will provide the training to staff," she said.

Ms McDougall said the education for nursing and medical staff will be highly valuable.

"Dr Craven runs neonatal resuscitation education in the Area, and it will be great to have him sharing his expertise with our local neonatal staff," she said.

"Having the resuscitation dolls permanently on site will allow us to continue training new staff and update skills on a regular basis. We are very grateful."

The Variety Club donation coincides with this year's Variety Club Bash as it passes through Taree.

 Photo opportunity: 3pm Sunday 18 May at Manning Hospital. Please page Director of Nursing Inga Kasch from reception on arrival.