RWJBarnabas Health opens third OR simulation lab for advanced nurse training and education

New Jersey health system RWJBarnabas Health has opened a new OR simulation lab for advanced nurse training and education at the Livingston location of its Institute for Nursing Excellence. The lab, which replicates real-world OR environments, features surgical lighting, equipment, instrumentation, patient mannequins, and audiovisual technology.

The simulation environment, which consumes 4,062 square feet of additional space at the location, contains two simulated ORs, a sub-sterile training room, and a 50-person classroom to support nurse onboarding, perioperative residency programs, specialty training, and ongoing skills development.

“This space reflects our belief that preparation matters by bringing together nursing and interprofessional education, while integrating simulation to advance safe, high-quality care,” said Mary Beth Russell, PhD, MA, RN, NPDA-BC, NEA-BC, FNAP, CPHQ, CNE, Senior Vice President, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation, Research & The Institute for Nursing Excellence with RWJBarnabas Health. “Simulation bridges classroom learning and clinical practice by allowing learners to apply knowledge, exercise judgment, and learn in a safe, risk-free, structured environment. Here, learners develop clinical judgment, confidence, and accountability, with patient safety at the center.”

Similar facilities already exist at two other RWJBarnabas Health locations: The Institute for Nursing Excellence in Oceanport and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway. The health system says that “through simulation-based education grounded in evidence-based practice, learners can rehearse complex procedures, manage intraoperative emergencies, and strengthen communication and teamwork in a psychologically safe environment before applying these skills in clinical practice.”