Canada’s newest and largest pediatric patient simulation lab was opened at the Alberta Children’s Hospital on Wednesday.
The $2.3-million KidSIM Centre will allow healthcare providers to hone their skills on lifelike, computerized pediatric mannequins that breathe and speak.
The ten mannequins also have a pulse and blood pressure and simulate children of various ages and sizes.
The 375-square-metre centre is about 10 times larger than the hospital’s old simulation space and has more than 70 specially trained simulation facilitators.
“By making the situation as lifelike as possible, it is hoped that staff and students experience the pressure and stressors of the real situation, enabling them to better experience what it is like to manage these life-threatening emergencies as part of an interprofessional team,” said Dr. Vincent Grant, Medical Director of the KidSim Pediatric Simulation Program.
The new Centre is also equipped with the latest in audiovisual playback and recording systems and was funded through donations to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.