A $2,000 gift from the Dorchester General Hospital Auxiliary is helping medical professionals enhance their lifesaving skills.

The Auxiliary’s donation was used to purchase four Pediatric Airway Management Trainers. These lifelike manikins are used to teach nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and paramedics how to clear blocked air passages and to insert breathing tubes for infants and young children. The manikins are equipped with inflatable sacs that simulate lungs and the stomach, tools that help confirm that air is being directed to the targeted organs.

Terry Satchell, BSN, RN, NREMT-P, resuscitation education coordinator for the Shore Health Institute of Nursing Science, says, “Working with these manikins gives us the opportunity to place a breathing tube into the airway and to practice a skill that has the potential to save lives.”

Satchell, who provides CPR, pediatric advanced life support and advanced cardiac life support training, will use the manikins during training classes at Dorchester General Hospital and The Memorial Hospital at Easton and out in the community with emergency medical services personnel.

“This training is critical for anyone who cares for children on a regular basis, such as in the emergency room, in the post anesthesia care unit and in the pediatrics unit,” Satchell explains. “Working with these high quality manikins makes it possible to simulate what a healthcare provider will need to know when faced with a life and death situation.”

Diane McCarthy, President of the DGH Auxiliary and a retired nurse, says, “The Auxiliary is always looking for ways to support our nurses and their clinical colleagues. This equipment has added value because it can save the life of a child and because it is used to train Shore Health System staff and emergency personnel in the community who will use it to learn and practice critical care skills.”