The Simulation Center at Fairbanks Hall

The Simulation Center at Fairbanks Hall brings Indiana's current and future doctors, nurses and technicians together in collaborative practice in a variety of clinical settings. Together, these interdisciplinary teams will practice on mannequins that respond like real patients, immerse themselves in computer-simulated surgery and react to complicated emergency room dramas.

Jointly operated by Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University School of Nursing and Clarian Health, the simulation center's mission is to provide a replica of the patient care environment where health care providers can learn to apply cognitive, psychomotor and affective skills in a interdisciplinary approach.

The vision for the simulation center is to instruct and facilitate learning while objectively measuring a learner's performance and competency in the health care environment.

The center consists of the following four main areas:

OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) Center

Exam room area, designed for use with hired, simulated patients, for objective structured clinical exams. Nursing students, medical students and Clarian clinical staff use this facility for training and assessment. The area is versatile and can be used for other purposes, too, but is designed with the OSCEs in mind.

Virtual Hospital

The virtual hospital consists of a six-bed hospital unit, including one OB room. The unit replicates a real-time hospital room, has authentic equipment, and is a learning space for interdisciplinary teams and individuals. The intent is to have medical, nursing, and allied health students work together with Clarian clinical staff, as they would in real-life, to care for simulated clients (patient simulators and hired simulated patients) in a nonthreatening, safe environment. During the assigned clinical time in the virtual hospital, critical events will be staged--for example, respiratory arrest or mock code, so nurses and physicians can problem-solve, assess, and intervene in a realistic manner. After the staged events, guided reflection time will be built in for debriefing after each session. During part of the clinical time, selected skill sets, virtual DVD programs, and other instructional technologies will be available to provide diverse learning experiences for all learners.

Skill Set Area

This large area is used for classroom instruction including suturing, airway management, IV pump training and other advanced skills learned and practiced by medical students, nursing students and Clarian clinical staff. The area is versatile so it can be set up for various skill sets and procedures. Within the area, advanced technologies are used to simulate airway management, invasive procedures and so on.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Acute Care Area

This five-bed area is comprised of ER, OR, Vascular Flex room, ICU and a transport room. The patient simulators, depending on the defined scenario, represent critically ill patients with selected health disruptions. Interdisciplinary care is delivered within this area by both medical and nursing students and Clarian clinical staff.