Female Manikins

If you learned CPR in the past few years, chances are, you learned on a “male” manikin or a manikin that is flat-chested. Flat-chested manikins have been the standard for decades. After all, the principles of CPR are the same regardless of if the individual is a man or woman. However, in practice, women are 27% less likely to receive CPR! A staggering figure for sure. Many aren’t sure where to give CPR since they lack the natural landmarks for hand placement that they learned on flat-chest manikins. For others, they fear society’s taboo towards touching a woman’s breast. In either case, female manikin accessories are the answer to these important problems.

Female manikin accessories come in two different styles: vests and bras. Vests are larger articles of clothing that go over the manikin. They are universal, yet bulky. For many manikins, they conceal the features of the manikin. However, their affordability and durability are paramount. Manikin bras are attached similarly to a bra. Each manufacturer’s manikin is different, so these bras aren’t universal. Their compact size means they do not hide critical components of the manikin, such as CPR monitors or lung bag access.

Vests and bras accomplish the same goal: they give manikins breasts. CPR training proceeds normally after this point. Students will place their hands where the ribs meet close to the breastbone. This will mean the student’s hand is touching the left breast. Though when it comes to potentially saving their life, this is a nonissue. In AED training, students will be placing one pad atop the woman’s left breast and another below the right.

Female accessories for manikins are paramount to increasing diversity and equality in CPR training. Many students worry about the societal implications of touching a woman’s breast, or if they’ll hurt the woman. As stated by Marion Leary, Penn Nursing’s Director of Innovation, “You can’t hurt someone worse than dead”. By including these accessories in the classroom, students will be more comfortable with a woman’s body and giving CPR to an individual with breasts. With the increased adoption of female accessories for manikins, the discussion of heart disease will hopefully also grow to include all people, instead of just men. The goal at the end of the day, however, is to save women’s lives.

Sources:

Womanikin, Start of the Female Manikin Movement
Nurse.org
Sacramento CBS
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