Letter from CNO, SVP Mairead Hickey
Dear Colleagues,
After several years of researching, planning and building, the simulation center in the Center for Nursing Excellence is now open. This new state of the art facility truly marks an exciting step forward in nursing education at BWH.
One of my promises to you is that no nurse will feel alone in practice. This center is one more way that we can ensure every nurse feels supported and confident in clinical skill development. The simulation center is designed to provide a safe and nonjudgmental environment where nurses can hone clinical skills and practice with new technology to enhance patient care and facilitate ongoing learning.
Beginning with a pilot program to orient nurses, the Center for Nursing Excellence will survey the nurses who have gone through simulation center orientation and their preceptors to gather information specific to nursing skill sets learned and practiced during orientation. This information will then be compared to similar information collected from nurses who have gone through our existing orientation programs to determine how simulation can best be incorporated into effective orientation for new nurses.
The simulation center’s possibilities for supporting nurses at the bedside are virtually boundless. We will be able to use it to introduce new skill sets, assist with competency days and practice with new equipment. The center’s staff will partner with clinical nursing experts throughout the hospital to create customized education programs focusing on different skills and patient scenarios for nurses in every area. It is an exciting time for all of us.
As we look forward to fully implementing this new methodology in the Center for Nursing Excellence, we’re grateful for the hard work of the staff—past and present—who have made this vision a reality. We will see firsthand how simulation technology can enhance nursing education and learning.
Sincerely,
Mairead Hickey, PhD, RN
Chief Nursing Officer and
Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services