Bridging Training & Reality

At Middlemore Hospital, our incredible Critical Care (ICU) team believes the best training happens in our normal teams, in our normal place, with our normal equipment. That’s where the VitalsBridge comes in, a crucial piece of simulation technology that links high-fidelity mannequins to the same hospital monitors our teams use every day.

Thanks to the generosity of Pub Charity and the Lion Foundation, Middlemore Foundation was able to purchase a new VitalsBridge to enhance this life-saving training.

By acting as a literal bridge between mannequins and monitors, the VitalsBridge transforms simulations into high-pressure, high-fidelity scenarios. Training takes place in real ICU bays, using actual resus trolleys, roles, and routines with the same colleagues staff would work with in an emergency. No laptops or artificial setups, just fully immersive, realistic practice without the risk.

This high-fidelity approach has been a cornerstone of the ICU’s ability to respond to major events, from the Whakaari / White Island eruption to the COVID-19 pandemic. It continues to prepare the team to manage the complex, life-threatening emergencies they see every day from severe burns and spinal cord injuries to sepsis and paediatric critical care. Having such realistic simulation sharpens critical skills, strengthens team cohesion, and builds confidence, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.

Nurses train weekly. Doctors and the wider multidisciplinary team train monthly. These in situ sessions take time and energy to coordinate, but the results are invaluable. With the VitalsBridge, every training is a rehearsal for the real thing.

Thanks again to our generous donors Pub Charity and The Lion Foundation, for making this vital piece of training equipment possible. We also want to acknowledge the incredible skill, commitment, and compassion of our Critical Care team. Whether facing a national emergency or responding to the daily challenges of intensive care, you bring such care and support to every patient and their families.