Development of a Rubber Manikin Prototype for Ventrogluteal Intramuscular Injection Skill Training: A Pilot Testing

Abstract

Objective: To develop the first prototype of a ventrogluteal intramuscular injection training manikin and evaluate its feasibility through preliminary pilot testing for use in teaching and learning among nursing students and nursing instructors. Methods: This research and development study focused on prototype development and pilot evaluation. The participants were purposively selected from the Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University and included 5 nursing instructors with experience in administering ventrogluteal intramuscular  injections  and 25 nursing students who had completed the Fundamental Nursing Competencies course. The research instruments consisted of a demographic questionnaire and a feasibility questionnaire for the prototype. The questionnaire demonstrated excellent content validity, with a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 1.00, and high internal consistency reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.96. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, while qualitative suggestions for prototype improvement were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Prototype I consisted of 6 major components as followings (1) a realistic manikin structure; (2) palpable anatomical bony landmarks; (3) simulated blood vessels; (4) a simulated sciatic nerve; (5) a sensor system; and (6) a fluid drainage system. Overall feasibility for educational use was rated at the highest level (M = 4.44, SD = 0.63), whereas sensor system accuracy was rated at the lowest level, albeit remaining at a high level (M = 3.77, SD = 0.97). Conclusion: Prototype I demonstrated high feasibility for use in nursing education. Nevertheless, future development should focus on increasing muscle thickness, optimizing sensor sensitivity to minimize false positives during palpation, and refining the functional leg joints for prototype II.