Hi-Tech simulation helping to save the youngest of lives at TX Children's

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- In any emergency situation, communication is key, along with staying calm and focused. That's why consistent practice and training is extremely important for medical personnel to make sure they can handle a multitude of emergencies.

Dr. Jennifer Arnold is the medical director for the Newborn Center Comprehensive Insight to Simulation Program.

"This is a simulation training program that's dedicated in the unit to training our healthcare providers, doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists on how to manage emergency situations," Dr. Arnold explained.

This program helps them not only be better prepared for those critical situations, but allows them to practice in simulation where it's safe.

"We can actually throw them curve balls and extra challenges that they may or may not encounter for 6 months or a year or even more," Dr. Arnold said.

Thanks to advancements in medical technologies, the team can practice in an almost true to life emergency.

"What you see here today is a baby mannequin, a newborn who can breathe, turn blue, has heart sounds, lung sounds. They can actually listen to breath sounds. And they can do everything that they can do on a real patient" Dr. Arnold said.

Including infant CPR, putting in a breathing tube, even administering medications.

Rebecca Schiff is a nurse herself, and when her newborn son was having complications in the NICU, the medical team went into action.

"At that moment I though he was going to die. He was very very sick," Schiff said.

But thanks to continued practice and simulation, the NICU team knew what needed to be done to save her son's life.

"The only one in the room panicking was me" Schiff told us. "Nobody else was panicked and I think that was what eventually brought me down to be like they know what they're doing. This is the team they practice this, they simulate it. And my son did well and he's fine."

And that's the main goal according to Dr. Arnold, saving lives.