Imagine having three NBA-sized basketball courts to train and prepare nursing students for the expected (and unexpected) before they treat real patients.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus opened its new, $6 million, 13,500-square-foot space called the Center for Simulation, Innovation, and Clinical Excellence on the fourth floor of Education 1 North on January 29, 2025, in front of more than 100 college faculty, students, and staff.
CU Nursing is home to 20,000+ square feet of simulation lab space at three facilities across the state (between Anschutz, Legacy Campus in Douglas County, and Fort Lewis College in Durango), making it the largest nursing simulation facility in the Rocky Mountain region.
The space is designed to be a safe, welcoming, and controlled environment for undergraduate and graduate nursing students, so they feel comfortable and confident when they enter the workforce.
|
Take a Closer Look at the Center for Simulation, Innovation, and Clinical Excellence |
“The simulation lab is central to the college’s vision of innovation, excellence, and leadership in nursing education,” CU Nursing Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP, says. “This space is truly where science meets simulation and where innovation meets compassion. By integrating advanced simulation technology, we can replicate real-world scenarios, enabling our students to gain invaluable experience and build their confidence before entering the clinical setting.”
Unique Experiences
Students develop skills in five distinct areas using different technology. Procedural Simulation rooms focus on learning basic nursing skills (taking vital signs, IV therapy). Outpatient exam rooms give students an opportunity to practice communication and physical assessment scenarios with actors who are simulated patients in an ambulatory care setting.
CU Nursing faculty and staff using a high-fidelity manikin. |
High-fidelity manikins are in what’s referred to as the Immersive Clinical Simulation suite. The suite has hospital-like rooms where students can practice more complex, high-risk healthcare scenarios, including complications during labor. There’s also a small apartment so students can experience taking care of patients in the home.
“Innovative technology is essential in recreating healthcare environments for student education,” Assistant Dean of Clinical Simulation Fara Bowler, DNP, APRN, CHSE, says. “We want students to fully engage in immersive learning using high-tech equipment because it enhances their understanding and skills. It offers new perspectives on patient, family, and community care while preparing them to deliver safe, high-quality care in a controlled, cutting-edge environment.”
Virtual reality is used in an extended reality room. Students wear virtual reality headsets and practice healthcare emergencies with AI-driven patient responses. Virtual reality is also used in an innovation room, which is a flexible space to allow for new technology to easily be integrated into the facility.
Virtual reality headsets. |
Faculty members are there to facilitate student experiences, give immediate feedback, answer questions, and provide clinical practice insight.
“Our simulation facility reflects CU Nursing’s commitment to educating the next generation of nurses,” Bowler says. “This allows us to lead in simulation education and highlight the importance of integrating simulation-based experiences into nursing curricula. With top-tier faculty and advanced technology, our students are gaining the skills and compassion needed to excel in patient care.”
Simulating a Real Environment
BS in Nursing student Melissa Funes and her classmates used the Procedural Simulation Competency room for their clinical simulation in their labor and delivery course. The room is equipped with hospital beds, manikins, and space for students to collaborate on specialty procedures to complement their clinical education. It was the first time they were able to use the new simulation lab.
BS in Nursing students using a manikin in the simulation lab. |
“Learning in a simulation lab helps ease anxiety before we go into a real clinical setting because those situations can be really overwhelming regardless of whether you know the skills or not,” Funes says. “Simulation gives us a good basis of knowledge before going in and interacting with human patients.”
The manikins can be programmed for certain physiologic presentations, making them breathe differently, change vital signs, or have realistic physiological changes in response to the student's actions. This allows students to prepare for various healthcare situations. The manikins also vary in size, from newborn to adults, and vary in skin tone and gender in an attempt to recreate the demographics of patients that they will see in healthcare settings.
“CU Nursing’s simulation lab provides a safe place for our students to gain experience in high-stake clinical situations,” Associate Dean of Academic Programs Kelly Stamp, PhD, NP, RN, CHFN, FAHA, FAAN, says. “It also provides an opportunity to expose students to clinical scenarios they may not see during their clinical rotations but might come up during their nursing career.”
Funes says it was beneficial to practice in the simulation lab at the beginning of the semester after having a break between semesters. She says it’s important to get continuous practice on common procedures like placing IVs, but the simulation lab is a critical space for learning new and different scenarios.
“It’s fantastic to be in a state-of-the-art facility where we have access to so many manikins and tools to practice,” Funes says. “It’s so beneficial and puts us at an advantage because we’re able to do procedures instead of only being shown how to do them.”
