Mohawk College expands its simulation and research centre

HAMILTON, Ont. – Mohawk College has expanded the Mohawk College Centre for Healthcare Simulation and Research (CHSR), located at the college’s Institute for Applied Health Sciences. Equipped with cutting-edge technology that replicates real-world healthcare environments, the expanded CHSR will improve students’ experience in simulation training, allow for new teaching methods, and support research in the use of simulation tools in healthcare education.

The CHSR will be available for students in the School of Health programs, such as nursing, medical imaging, pharmacy, cardiovascular technology, personal support worker, and occupational therapy assistant/physiotherapy assistant.

“We are excited to open this renovated and expanded space to allow healthcare students to experience a wide range of clinical scenarios that may not be readily available in local healthcare settings,” said Wendy Lawson (pictured), associate VP, Academic and dean of the School of Health.

“Learners can develop confidence and competence in managing challenging healthcare conditions before encountering them in the field,” she said. “This experience is a huge benefit for preparing future healthcare professionals.”

The new CHSR includes:

• six high-fidelity simulation suites, complete with advanced manikins for lifelike medical scenarios;
• two Activities of Daily Living (ADL) apartments, designed to simulate real-life care settings;
• two Virtual Reality and Simulation FlexRooms, offering versatile spaces for mixed-reality learning experiences and detailed debriefing sessions;
• video/audio capture in all spaces; and
• debriefing facilities are available for in-depth analysis and reflection, ensuring that every simulation scenario becomes a powerful learning experience.

Simulation scenarios can be customized to the learners’ needs and learning objectives. For example, simulations can replicate rare disease processes or complex clinical situations that learners might not encounter during regular clinical rotations.

The CHSR will also serve as a hub for collaboration between healthcare professionals and researchers across the region, including college partners at McMaster University, Hamilton Health Sciences, and Hamilton’s St. Joseph’s hospitals. It will serve as an incubator for the testing and validation of new medical equipment, with the goal of improving clinical practices and patient outcomes.

The innovative new features of the CHSR will complement the ongoing efforts of the Centre for Integrated and Advanced Medical Imaging (CIAMI) and further contribute to Mohawk College’s commitment to driving innovation in healthcare education, research, and technology development.

“Opening the new Centre for Healthcare Simulation signals a new chapter of growth and innovation for healthcare education at Mohawk College,” said Mohawk College president Paul Armstrong. “More students will have access to a safe, controlled environment to experience real-world medical scenarios and develop important skills to equip them for the demands of a rapidly evolving healthcare sector.”