Healthcare workers and nursing students in Wainwright now have access to a new simulation lab designed to provide hands-on training close to home. The facility, located at the Wainwright Health Centre, features high-tech clinical equipment, medical manikins and an audiovisual system that can recreate real-life healthcare scenarios in a controlled setting.
Completed earlier this month, the lab is intended to support local physicians, healthcare teams and students as they develop and refine clinical skills, including training for high-risk medical situations. Alberta’s Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Adriana LaGrange, said the facility will help strengthen healthcare training and patient care in rural communities.
The project was made possible through a contribution of approximately $250,000 from the Wainwright and District Health Foundation, which funded the purchase of an ATCO trailer and its conversion into a dedicated simulation space.
“It’s great to see this lab accessible to rural students in Wainwright. This space strengthens local healthcare education and empowers our community by ensuring healthcare teams and future nurses have the opportunity to train right here at home,” says Garth Rowswell, MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright. “This addition to our local hospital will lead to better patient outcomes and a stronger healthcare system for everyone in the Wainwright area.”
The lab will be used regularly by students enrolled in the University of Calgary’s Rural Community Route nursing program, giving them opportunities to practise clinical procedures and prepare for emergencies in a safe learning environment. According to Alberta Health Services, simulation training helps bridge the gap between classroom instruction and real-world patient care while allowing students to learn from mistakes without risking patient safety.
Tailored simulation exercises
Simulation exercises can also be tailored to specific departments and healthcare settings, allowing hospital staff and physicians to train for less common but high-acuity medical events. Jason Laberge, director of Human Factors and eSIM Provincial Patient Safety with Alberta Health Services, said the facility will help healthcare professionals practise a wide range of clinical scenarios while remaining close to their communities.
University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing dean Dr. Catherine Laing said the partnership ensures students in the Wainwright rural route program have access to the same quality of learning opportunities available in larger urban centres.
Community fundraising
For the Wainwright and District Community Health Foundation, the project aligns with its mission to support local healthcare. Foundation spokesperson Bill Lawson said community donations through the organization’s annual fundraising gala helped make the project possible.
The simulation lab builds on the clinical learning environment established at the Wainwright Health Centre when the University of Calgary’s Rural Community Route welcomed its first cohort of students in 2021.
