Two new health care simulation labs are now open at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, offering some of the most advanced learning tools available to students across the country.

 

Donors contributed $240,000 to make the two HOLO (Hands on Learning Opportunity) Suites a reality, including one anonymous donor who gave $100,000 towards the project.

 

"We are grateful for the generous support of our community members who have made these labs possible for our students," said Tammy Johannson, President of ACC Foundation. “The Foundation is proud to play an important role in establishing these HOLO Suites.”

 

The two labs are located at the college's Victoria Avenue East Campus in Brandon and Border Street Campus in Winnipeg, each housing a female and male high fidelity mannequin. They will be used by students in the college’s Practical Nursing and Comprehensive Health Care Aide programs.
The mannequins have features that mimic a human patient. They have a pulse; breath and convulse; respond to drug doses and IVs; and secrete blood, mucous, sweat and urine. The female mannequins even simulate a complete birthing experience.

 

"They are incredible teaching tools. It's one of the most authentic, hands-on experience a student can get," said Karen Hargreaves, Dean of Health & Human Services. "Healthcare professionals are required to exercise critical thinking and quick judgement on a daily basis, and these labs are the safest way to prepare them for situations they'll encounter on the job."

 

Advanced simulated learning scenarios allow faculty members to expose students to medical situations that they may never see in their clinical practicum in a safe laboratory setting. Instructors can write their own scenarios or integrate pre-packaged scenarios into the existing curriculum. Students learn to work as a team in a variety of roles, or individually in the simulated environment.

 

"This simulated environment also helps students to build their self-confidence through practice," said Hargreaves. "We often say students learn by doing at our college and this exemplifies that philosophy."