North West College launched the Cenovus Energy Simulation Learning Centre Thursday. Nursing students join, left to right, George Prudat (NW College board of governors chair), Glenn Hemmelgarn (Cenovus Energy), Battlefords MLA Jeremy Cockrill, and Eli Ahlquist (NW College President and CEO), during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Simulation learning centre

North West College celebrates grand opening of new health training lab

Dec 16, 2022 | 1:49 PM

North West College celebrated the launch of the new Cenovus Energy Simulation Learning Centre at its campus in North Battleford Thursday.

The new health training lab expansion was made possible with support from a $50,000 donation from Cenovus Energy Inc. The funds were used to increase the size of the lab from four beds to ten, and to equip the learning centre with state-of-the-art technology.

North West College president and CEO Eli Ahlquist was thrilled to have the new facility finally complete.

“Cenovus Energy provided funding for us to upgrade and to build [it] out for our students,” he said. “The simulation learning centre is a space for nursing and other health students to practice the skills they’ve learned in their theory courses, and be prepared to apply those before they go into the hospitals or centres.”

The project also includes a separate high-fidelity room with an animated mannequin operated by a computer, to help teach nursing students in a simulated hospital environment.

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“We can talk through it; it can talk; we can take its blood pressure and pulse,” Ahlquist said. “It’s a very sophisticated mannequin we’re able to run here.”

He described the simulation learning centre as essentially a replica of hospital surroundings, with all the equipment and supplies students would need to use.

“It’s been a valuable tool for us with our expanded health programming that we started this year,” Ahlquist said.

Some of the new equipment that was installed for the nursing lab includes compressors, new beds, lift equipment for transferring patients, new intravenous pumps, and other technology for the students to use.

“The feedback we have gotten is this space is on par with what you would find in Regina or Saskatoon,” Ahlquist said. “So, we are right up there with what the students can experience in our learning environment.”

Glenn Hemmelgarn, an operations superintendent with Cenovus Energy, said the company was pleased to support the effort.

“We’re proud to be part of a project like this that provides training for healthcare workers,” he said.

Hemmelgarn said the company wants to promote “healthy and resilient communities” for people to live in, and this project will help advance that goal.

“It’s pretty important to us,” he said.

Cenovus Energy’s grant was part of the college’s fundraising campaign to support the renovation of the simulation learning lab. The total value of the project is estimated at around $300,000 for the renovation work, as well as equipment and supplies purchase and installation.

“We’re quite fortunate we received a number of donations of equipment from the hospital and other centres as well,” Ahlquist added.

The province also provided assistance for the initiative through its Preventative Maintenance and Renewal (PMR) Funding Program.

“The province and North West College work together to provide services that the regional college offers each year,” Battlefords MLA Jeremy Cockrill said. “Certainly, seeing a project like this go from four beds to 10, that’s a huge benefit to the students here at North West College.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow