Instructional Resource Centre and Simulation Labs
The Instructional Resource Centre (IRC) provides a safe learning environment where students at all levels can gain confidence and experience in performing essential nursing competencies through simulated learning experiences.
The IRC lab rooms simulate the hospital and clinic environments.
Learning Labs
Learning labs are focused on the full continuum of nursing care including maternity, newborn, pediatric and adult simulated clients. Located on the first, ninth, and basement floors of the Centre for Nursing Studies, the IRC is comprised of eight clinical lab rooms and 10 health assessment examination rooms.
Topics include:
| The client interview | Health assessment |
| Medication administration | Care of medical and surgical simulated patients |
| Labour and delivery simulation | Newborn care and assessment |
| Community disaster management | Code blue workshop |
| Foot care courses | Peri-operative care simulations |
Bookings
Students can book the IRC learning labs in the evenings and on weekends when peer tutors are available to provide assistance and remediation. Students can also also sign out and borrow some practice equipment such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs.
Simulators
In addition, the IRC has modern task trainers such as the Chester Chest models (for teaching about central lines, subcutaneous access ports, and PICC lines) and IV arms (for IV initiation and blood collection).
We also have electronic blood pressure and pulse-monitoring arms. There are several task trainers and models for teaching skills, such as; catheterization, nasogastric tube insertion, and wound care.
The IRC low-fidelity mannequins are culturally diverse and represent the lifespan, which includes 20 adults, three geriatric adults, three pediatric, and 15 newborn mannequins.
Simulation Program
Vision:
Aligning with the mission, vision, values, and goals of the Centre for Nursing Studies and excellence in health care education and delivery, the vision of the simulation program is:
Innovative delivery of high-quality simulated clinical experiences, inclusive of respect, diversity, professionalism, collaboration, partnership, and scholarship. Seeking practice excellence by learning through reflection, fostering safety, and bridging theory to practice.
Advanced Simulators:
There are two multi-purpose rooms and three simulation rooms equipped with state-of-the-art medium and high-fidelity simulators. The medium and high-fidelity simulators provide real-time, realistic physiological responses to student interaction. The CNS has three adult high-fidelity simulators, one of which is a high-fidelity birthing simulator with an accompanying newborn simulator. There are 10 medium-fidelity simulators, two high-fidelity pediatric simulators, and two advanced newborn simulators. All simulators are used in all our nursing programs.