Simulation Lab

The nursing lab at UBCO is a dynamic, exciting place for students to learn and master many different skills throughout the program.

Overview

The program is a mandatory element for years 1 – 4.  Over 360 students visit the lab weekly.  They come to the space for seminars, lab classes, human patient simulations, and open lab practice.  We pride ourselves in providing a sophisticated, realistic context that prepares our students to become safe, compassionate professionals.

Our program offers:

  • Dedicated lab teachers – that connect lab seminar classes with lab content
  • standardized lab content and skills teaching
  • skills stations, that provide many critical thinking questions for the students

Years 1 and 2

Each week in years one and two you learn the skills associated with a specific theme. For example, one week in the theory class, the focus is on cardiovascular assessment with the exemplar of heart failure, and in the lab, you learn skills related to IV management, fluid and electrolyte issues, and a simulation with a patient who requires furosemide IV.

The simulation lab uses James Lang’s concept of ‘interleaving’ (the practice of studying subjects in mixed, recursive order, as opposed to “blocked” learning in which students study one topic at a time in depth before moving on to the next). An example of this is, we teach physical assessment in Year 1 starting with a skeleton (in the context of the elderly). In Year 2, the lab on assessment delves deeper into the heart sounds and focused assessments within the acute care context.

Year 3

In Year 3, term one in the lab, you learn the most complex skills.  Focus is on skill repetition, critical thinking and how the equipment connects to other clinical skills that you previously acquired. You learn the majority of skills required for entry to practice.

Year 4

In Year 4, you return one last time to the lab and practice your skills one day, and then complete a four-bed simulation the next day in groups of four.