Dear Mr. Kolars, Mr. Lowell, Mr. Rush and Mr. Forrest:
I am deeply concerned about training methods used in a University of Michigan Survival
Flight course for nurses. Intubation is practiced upon cats
(acquired from animal shelters in the past) in repetitive drills that call for
trainees to drive a rigid plastic tube down a cat's fragile windpipe.
Trauma response exercises require students to carve holes into the limbs, throats and
chest of pigs. They jab needles into the pigs' hearts and
bones as well. All animals are killed.
This is not a matter of whether UM abides by basic care standards set forth in the
U.S. Animal Welfare Act. It is simply that these animals do not
need to undergo confinement, invasive procedures and death in the first place.
UM already uses more applicable and human-based simulators to teach the same skills in
other courses. Please replace all live animal labs with
human-focused technologies. The American College of Surgeons endorses TraumaMan System
as a viable tool to practice lifesaving skills. The Air
& Surface Transport Nurses Association also approves of animal-free simulators.
Anatomically advanced simulators, along with human cadaver systems and real-life
hospital rotations, cut costs and improve proficiency. They
allow for more in-depth feedback and assessment of student performance, while reducing
dropout rates.
Conversely, animal models are inconsistent with the human experience. Incision
pressure differs from species to species. Shape, angle, texture
and elasticity of organs also vary between species.
Given the accessibility of capable and superior alternatives — there is no valid
reason for live animal labs in any curriculum.
Thank you,
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