Health Sciences Simulation Center for Inter-professional Education
Importance of Simulation Training
WCC’s legacy of preparing healthcare professionals in Westchester County is renowned. The creation of a state-of-the art hospital simulation lab was identified as a top need of the college during Dr. Belinda Miles’ first decade as President of the college. This facility will vastly improve student-learning outcomes by providing supervised practice and calibration of skills and competencies prior to placement in a clinical facility.
The NEW Health Sciences Simulation Center for Interprofessional Education, a simulated hospital environment and related learning spaces bring faculty and students in nursing, respiratory care, radiology and paramedics together to observe, study and simulate a variety of medical scenarios, expanding the knowledge and clinical opportunities for students seeking careers in healthcare.
Using state-of-the-art technology, students will experience clinical conditions in a safe environment, enhancing their fieldwork and employment prospects. Engaging in simulation education allows students to develop and practice their critical thinking skills with no risk of harm to patients. The high-fidelity simulation manikins will prepare students to learn how to deal with medical/trauma scenarios for different ages including newborn, pediatric, adult and geriatric.
Made possible with major support from the WCC Foundation, SUNY and College funding, the Simulation Center will provide up to one third of required clinical hours vital to nursing licensure as approved by NYS legislature in May 2023.
About the Simulation Center
- A debriefing room where students and faculty can view simulation activities occurring in other rooms or review past simulation experiences
- Two storage rooms for supplies and equipment
- A prep room with medication dispensing equipment and computer workstations
- Office space for the simulation center coordinator/ educator
- A large clinical simulation room with three high fidelity manikins on hospital beds focused on maternal and child health, ages newborn, child and adult
- A large clinical simulation room with four high fidelity manikins on hospital beds focused on medical/surgical areas for adults including geriatric care
- More than 2,500 pieces of supportive equipment & supplies.
The Simulation Center is equipped with microphones and cameras which allow for recording and reviewing post activity review. The high-fidelity manikins are capable of mimicking patient responses to clinical interventions. Students can observe respirations, lung sounds, heart sounds, pulses, and other physiological responses. One manikin is designed to deliver a newborn, enabling students to gain experience with childbirth through a realistic and standardized simulation and practice all steps of delivery without patient risk.
These simulation experiences will raise the education preparation at SUNY WCC to its highest level to date. Our students will benefit from this latest innovation, and we look forward to supporting our students with this type of technology.
Grand Opening
Professor Rich Gennaro, WCC Trustee LeRoy Mitchell, Deputy County Executive Richard Wishnie, WCC President Belinda S. Miles, Dean George W. Contreras, WCC Board members Barbara Abeles, WCC Foundation President Susan Wollin, Betsy Stern, Emeritus, and Ida Doctor, Children’s Dream Foundation.
