Spirit of the North Foundation receives $50K donation to update Northern simulation systems

Physicians, nurses, and medical students across the Northern BC region use a simulation centre to build on their skills for real-life scenarios.

There’s one problem, its current technology is out-of-date.

As a result, Prince George RBC is lending a helping hand with its Foundation donating $50,000 to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation to refresh its robotic patient simulators, which include babies in pediatric care and mothers giving birth.

.@Northern_Health’s Clinical Centre at #UHNBC features several simulators, including babies & mothers giving birth; $50k donation from @RBC will help provide similar needs; if you look closely, you can see it breathe | #CityOfPG pic.twitter.com/lbMmSbbSQZ

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) June 1, 2018

Northern Health’s Regional Manager for Innovation and Development Commons, Tammy Hoefer, says it’s difficult to obtain certain technologies in the North.

“It has really been a challenge to get people to understand how important the program actually is for supporting education for our up-and-coming nurses and physicians, but as well as maintaining the skill sets of the staff that work with in Northern health and provide that service.”

She believes there’s been substantial growth in the program since its inception in 2012, which means more efforts are needed each year to help meet the standard.

.@Northern_Health’s Michael Lundin explains how they educate in the simulation rooms, usually up to 12 people at a time, adding all are getting the hands-on experience needed to step into the workplace immediately | #CityOfPG #UHNBC pic.twitter.com/kCymZUSwR3

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) June 1, 2018

Hoefer adds the experience for their staff when utilizing the Clinical Simulation Centre is invaluable compared to other facilities.

“Some of the things they practice with in the simulation don’t occur often in real life, but what this is provided is when that situation does happen, in the moment, they’re able to respond and feel confident and how they’re responding and can keep up that communication amongst each other.”

.@Northern_Health’s Clinical Simulation Centre at #UHNBC reaches out to Medical students across the region with branches in other cities; facility also assists current staff & physicians | #CityOfPG #bced pic.twitter.com/pIhxfwgBGI

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) June 1, 2018