West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health has opened a new operating room simulation lab at the Institute for Nursing Excellence in Livingston, N.J.
The lab includes two simulated ORs, a sub-sterile training room and a 50-person classroom. The environment was designed to replicate real-world ORs with surgical lighting, equipment, instrumentation, patient mannequins and audiovisual technology, according to a Feb. 2 news release.
The lab will support nurse onboarding efforts, perioperative residency programs, specialty training and ongoing skills development. It is intended for both novice nurses and those transitioning into perioperative roles.
The health system operates similar OR simulation labs at the Institute for Nursing Excellence in Oceanport, N.J., and at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway (N.J.).
“Simulation bridges classroom learning and clinical practice, by allowing learners to apply knowledge, exercise judgment, and learn in a safe, risk-free, structured environment. Here, learners develop clinical judgment, confidence, and accountability, with patient safety at the center,” Mary Beth Russell, PhD, RN, senior vice president of the Center for Professional Development, Innovation, Research & The Institute for Nursing Excellence at RWJBarnabas Health, said in the release.
