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Training the future: Construction begins on HSN's $26M state-of-the-art Learners' Centre

Facility will train future health care professionals using state-of-the-art simulation equipment

In most cases, making mistakes is frowned upon.

For students learning to become doctors, however, making mistakes in the simulation lab is all part of the learning process.

It's a way to gain the experience and knowledge to prevent those mistakes from happening in a real clinical situation, said Dr. Rob Anderson, medical director, Health Sciences North Simulation Lab.

Anderson was one of the guest speakers at a press conference on June 18 at HSN to celebrate the start of construction of a 28,000-square-foot facility that will serve as a training ground for future doctors, nurses, lab technicians, paramedics and other health professionals.

“(At the HSN Learners' Centre, students can) practise in a space where it's safe to make mistakes,” Anderson said. “Here, it's OK to be wrong, and in fact, it's encouraged to be wrong in as many spectacular ways you can be wrong, so that when you're faced with similar clinical situations, you already have a wealth of information and experience to apply to those situations.”

More than 2,000 learners from more than 70 colleges and universities will learn the latest in medical practices and technology. Last year, those thousands of learners logged more than 15,000 hours in simulation labs, Anderson said.

Students can practise anything from surgical procedures to breaking bad news to family members.

“You can't really argue against practising to do your job better, to defining what better looks like, and exploring all the opportunities to research the best ways to educate people,” he said. 

“We can recreate just about anything so you can practise it over and over again in order to get it near perfect for when the time comes to put it into use.”

The Learners' Centre is a $26-million project that has been in the works for about 10 years now, Anderson said. 

Beyond the physical building, there's another project going on, and that's building the culture of education and building the educational programs at Health Sciences North, he said.

“This will put us on the map and validate the expertise that we have and make us national and international leaders in simulation-based health-care education. This is the best day ever for me.”

The current simulation lab at the Sudbury Outpatient Centre will be relocated to the Learners' Centre at HSN. 

Anderson said the project will move quickly, with construction expected to be complete in 12 to 18 months. The HSN Foundation raised $5.4 million of the total $26 million price tag, with the Ministry of Health covering the remaining bill.
 


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Arron Pickard

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