Medical and nursing students and practitioners can now benefit from unique, state-of-the-art learning environments at four Northern Health and two university facilities, thanks to a partnership with the University of British Columbia’s Northern Medical Program and the School of Nursing at UNBC.
“This project and partnership clearly reflects NH’s organizational values of collaboration and innovation,” Northern Health president and CEO Cathy Ulrich said.
The $2.4 million investment in Northern Clinical Simulation Centres allows students and clinicians to work with patient simulators – interactive training mannequins – to hone their skills in different treatment scenarios.
The centres are located at University Hospital of
Northern British Columbia, G.R. Baker Hospital in Quesnel, Terrace’s Mills Memorial and at the Prince George and Quesnel UNBC campuses.
“Quesnel Health Services, thanks to key partnerships, is proud to house a state-of-the-art simulator lab,” Health Services administrator Margaret Sadlon said.
“This will provide the opportunity for staff to practice varying skills and provide ongoing education, such as cardiac care, trauma management and IV training. Additionally, opportunities exist for case reviews, applying new clinical standards of care and nursing documentation.
“We feel so fortunate to have this equipment in Quesnel.”
Each facility underwent renovations to create critical care and ward rooms, where a range of technologies are available for physicians and nurses to diagnose and treat patients. A fourth centre will be located at the new Fort St. John Hospital, opening in 2012.
“By working together we have been able to do so much more than we could have achieved separately,” Regional Associate Dean of the Northern Medical Program Dr. David Snadden said.
“This partnership gives us a huge opportunity to have our health care providers practice together in a realistic environment with the aim of us providing the best care we can to northern patients.”
The patient simulator mannequins at each site are realistic training tools for simulating a variety of patient care and advanced lifesaving skills in medical emergencies.
With spontaneous breathing, airway control, voice, sounds and many other clinical features, the mannequins are ideal tools for practicing everything from routine procedures, to emergency care and defibrillation or resuscitation.
They respond to clinical intervention, instructor control and pre-programmed scenarios.
“By sharing resources and working cooperative, we are able to make resources available for health professional education across northern B.C.” UNBC School of Nursing chair Martha McLeod said.
“Doctors, nurses and others will use the simulation training to learn how to work smoothly together.”
Leading-edge patient simulation technology is already in use at various medical and teaching facilities in B.C., however, Northern Clinical Simulation Centres are unique in terms of their design, coordination and the collaborative partnership between the UBC’s Northern Medical Program, UNBC’s School of Nursing and Northern Health that made them a reality.