Intramuscular injection simulator

Abstract

Global health professionals and students have recognized that there is a lack of proper training for intramuscular injections. This lack of training comes from realistic models being too expensive for training facilities and students to purchase. There is a need for accessible training simulators for students that don't have the funds or access to the top of the line simulators. Due to the pandemic and facilities closing, students have had to find ways to learn these skills without having an instructor there to help them walk through the process. Without proper training, several things could go wrong during intramuscular injections, such as hitting the patient's bone or nerves with the needle, performing the procedure at the wrong injection site, injecting the fluid in the wrong layer of the arm, or hitting a vein. Our design aims to produce a simulator that is easily accessible to students and can teach them the necessary skills for successful intramuscular injections. We are seeking for the product to resemble the deltoid by having a texture of human skin, is as thick and dense as human fat and muscle, and includes a material that can resemble a human bone. Various verification methods were used to support the final design concept and determine if the stakeholder requirements and accompanying engineering specifications were met. Through the multiple processes detailed within this report, it was determined that 16 out of 18 specifications were met. These results inform the current quality of our solution and where future work needs to be completed should this project be reassigned in the future. Validation of this intramuscular injection simulator requires further research and is two-fold, the solution should meet the verified specifications regardless of who is creating the simulator, and it must also fulfill its role as an effective learning tool for nursing students. Details discussing the potential future validation steps are discussed.