The Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre celebrated the grand opening of a new dedicated simulation lab for students in the rural community nursing program on Nov. 7.
Completed in October, the lab mimics a real hospital setting to create an immersive learning experience, including high-tech clinical equipment, manikins and an audio-visual system for remote observation. Here, local health-care teams and students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science Nursing program can practice patient care in a variety of scenarios and refine their skills.
“It’s great to see this program accessible to rural students in Drayton Valley. This space strengthens local health-care education and empowers our community by ensuring future nurses have the opportunity to train right here at home,” said Andrew Boitchenko, MLA for Drayton Valley–Devon. “This addition to our local hospital will lead to better patient outcomes and a stronger healthcare system for everyone in the Drayton Valley area.”
Prior to the lab’s completion, educators from the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services (AHS) would bring training and simulation manikins to the hospital for education sessions.
Now, students can experience simulated scenarios specific to the needs of different departments and programs, including emergency, labour and delivery, or medicine units.
Moving forward, students in the rural community nursing program, which launched in the community last year, will regularly use the space in their studies.
“For students, staff and physicians to deliver the best care possible, they must practise, especially less-frequent, high-acuity medical events and emergencies. Simulation offers a unique and meaningful way to practice clinical skills for all types of scenarios in a controlled environment,” commented Jason Laberge, director of human factors and eSIM provincial patient safety with AHS.
The lab was funded by a $175,000 contribution by the Drayton Valley Health Foundation and Drayton Valley Hospital Auxiliary, as well as a partnership with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing.
“Thanks to the generous support from our community, our healthcare teams of today and tomorrow have a dedicated place in the hospital to develop a solid foundation in patient safety and apply what they have learned when faced with real-world situations,” said Carol Vowk, Chair of the Drayton Valley Health Foundation. “Supporting educational opportunities like this ensures students, our hospital staff and our doctors are well-equipped to care for patients and families in our community.”
It was designed by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing simulation team and Educate, Simulate, Innovate, Motivate (eSIM), the provincial simulation program of AHS.
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