Have you ever seen a mannequin breathe or talk? In 2010, when The University of Ottawa Skills and Simulation Centre (uOSSC) opened at the Civic, healthcare professionals and students were given the chance to learn and practice on computer-driven mannequins that can breathe, talk, bleed, and respond to medication.
The facility’s state-of-the-art simulation rooms included two operating rooms, one intensive care room, and a labour and delivery suite/emergency room, and it quickly led the way nationally and internationally in providing an innovative and safe environment for learners to master their skills.
Training in a simulated environment, prior to patient care in a hospital enhances patients safety and also allows experienced medical professionals the opportunity to expand their skills using the latest technology.
“Most of us wouldn’t like to get in an airplane if a pilot hasn’t spent hours in a simulator,” said Dr. Viren Naik, who served as medical director of the centre until 2014. “The human body might be even more complex than a fighter jet.”
See the full “100 Moments of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation” here.