Cambrian College official opens new Interprofessional Simulation Centre – April 16

SUDBURY, ON – A new simulation lab to train health care students has been officially opened at Cambrian College.

The new Interprofessional Simulation Centre is an 800 square-metre space at Cambrian’s main Barry Downe campus. It is being used by students in the Personal Support Worker, Practical Nursing, Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Paramedic programs.

The new Interprofessional Simulation Centre cost $1.74 million to construct and equip, with approximately $618,000 in funding provided by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security through the College Equipment Renewal Fund.

“This Interprofessional Simulation Centre is the latest example of our ongoing campus modernization under our new Strategic Plan, which calls upon us to evolve our programs, advance teaching practices and adopt innovative technologies to meet emerging needs,” says Cambrian President Kristine Morrissey. “The new Interprofessional Simulation Centre fulfills all three of these strategic priorities. Our students will be learning skills that will have them job-ready from the moment they graduate. This is only going to build upon the already stellar reputation our graduates have in the health care sector.”

At the core of the Interprofessional Simulation Centre are two large teaching labs, each equipped with hospital beds and medical manikins capable of replicating a wide range of essential patient-care skills, including bed bathing, mouth care, and patient transfers.

Each lab is fully outfitted with hospital-grade equipment, including IV pumps and bags, tubing, syringes, placebo medications, and other health care products. These materials are configured and refreshed weekly by Cambrian’s simulation technologists to align with program-specific learning outcomes.

The Interprofessional Simulation Centre also features four high-fidelity simulation suites equipped with advanced medical manikins capable of simulating highly complex and realistic scenarios, including breathing, bleeding, blinking, and childbirth, allowing students to train for everything from routine care to critical and emergency situations.

“One of the greatest strengths of our newly designed simulation centre is that it brings learning to life in a safe, supportive, and controlled environment,” says Talicia Brouwer, a registered nurse and simulation technologist in the new lab. “Using high-fidelity manikins and realistic scenarios, we can bridge the gap between theory and practice. Students are not just learning from textbooks, they are actively applying their knowledge, making decisions, and experiencing the outcomes in real time.”

The Interprofessional Simulation Centre is further enhanced by virtual-reality headsets, which allow students to participate in immersive, virtual health care simulations. Students also train using a wide range of task trainers (partial anatomy models) designed to replicate real-world procedures such as wound care and catheter care.

“For me, access to a facility like this means more than just hands-on practice; it means building confidence before stepping into real-world clinical settings,” adds Landon Monette, a student in Cambrian’s Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.” It means having the opportunity to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow without compromising patient safety. And most importantly, it means becoming better prepared to provide safe, compassionate, and competent care.”

Cambrian College offers 20 programs related to nursing, health sciences and emergency services.

Learn more at https://cambriancollege.ca/programs.