Neonatal Simulator Offers Caregivers Realistic Training

Grant from Variety — the Children’s Charity enables the purchase of realistic training tool for physicians, nurses

Great outcomes begin with great preparation.

Thanks to a nearly $40,000 grant from Variety — the Children’s Charity, the Mary Greeley Foundation recently purchased the SimNewB infant simulator for Mary Greeley’s Maternal Child Services—bringing advanced, hands-on neonatal training to the bedside and raising the bar for staff readiness across Birthways and the NICU.

Unlike older, limited-feedback mannequins, SimNewB offers anatomically accurate features and realistic physiologic responses. Teams can intubate with true-to-life airway resistance, start IVs, place umbilical lines, and observe immediate vital-sign changes on a monitor. It’s an inhancement for staff learning—especially for complex, low-frequency skills that must be flawless when needed.

“For our nurses, therapists, paramedics and even providers, the realism is huge,” says Stacy Peterson, BSN, RNC-OB, Director of Maternal Child Services. “You can deliver breaths and see the chest rise, hear heart and lung sounds, and observe how the baby responds. That kind of feedback builds confidence and competence.”

SimNewB also enables interdisciplinary drills that mirror real-world dynamics. In the first minutes after birth, teamwork and communication are as crucial as technical skill. With the simulator’s integrated audio, video, and performance data, teams can run scenarios together, then debrief with synchronized playback to identify strengths, close gaps, and standardize best practices. Over time, that shared learning tightens coordination under pressure—training that sticks when the pager goes off.

Consistency is another win. Instead of piecemeal practice on aging equipment, SimNewB offers a reliable, repeatable curriculum. Because it’s designed in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics and built for the “golden minutes” after birth, the platform aligns closely with national standards for neonatal resuscitation and stabilization.

“It’s reassuring as a leader to know our team can practice these scenarios in a realistic environment,” Peterson says. “The more consistent and reliable the training, the better prepared everyone is, from nurses to physicians.”

The benefits cascade across the organization. Birthways and NICU staff refine critical thinking and hands-on skills; respiratory therapists hone ventilation strategies; ED and EMS partners can rehearse handoffs for newborn emergencies. And because the simulator captures performance data, educators can tailor follow-ups to individual and team needs, turning each session into targeted development.

“Receiving this grant and working with the Foundation is incredibly meaningful,” Peterson says. “It allows us to bring state-of-the-art training technology to our hospital. These tools wouldn’t be accessible without support from Variety—the Children’s Charity and the Foundation. It is an investment in our people that enables them to deliver the very best care.”

The funded package includes the SimNewB manikin and operational technology, installation and training, and scenario software—an end-to-end setup that makes high-fidelity simulation a daily reality, not a special event.

In all respects, SimNewB is more than a manikin. It is a platform for continual growth. By bringing realistic practice, standardized curricula, and data-driven debriefing under one roof, Mary Greeley is giving its teams the tools to learn together, improve together, and perform together so that when a real newborn needs help, the response is second nature.

“This grant helps us do it better,” Peterson says. “It’s an investment in our staff and ultimately in every baby and family who counts on us.”