AdventHealth opens simulation center in Palm Coast

PALM COAST, Fla. — AdventHealth has opened a high-tech facility to provide nurses with the highest level of training, using leading-edge simulation technology.

With five classroom labs that mimic patient rooms, the regional simulation center is the largest in AdventHealth’s Central Florida footprint, which extends from Flagler County to Osceola County, south of Orlando. The center will provide realistic training for nurses of all skill levels, using interactive realistic manikins that can simulate a range of health conditions and scenarios. Trainers, working from a central command center, can make the manikins “speak” and introduce new challenges that nurses then must respond to.

"We want our team members to be able to deal with any clinical situation, after having experienced different scenarios multiple times in a safe, simulated environment," said Lee Wright, manager of the sim center, which is located on the AdventHealth Palm Coast campus.

For front-line caregivers, the sim center offers a great opportunity to refine their skills while learning new ones.

“As an ER nurse, I’ve helped treat coding patients many times,” said Shirley Rosario Cruz, referring to when a patient’s heart stops beating. “It’s an extremely stressful situation, so it’s great to practice and improve procedures and communication. This sim center will be extremely helpful, both for experienced nurses like me and brand-new team members."

Training will even extend beyond clinical care, including teaching nurses how to interact with patients and deal with family members who may become difficult as they navigate their loved ones’ health challenges.

The center will also help develop the next generation of health care workers, serving as a training site for nursing students from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University.

“We know how important it is to maintain and grow a strong health care workforce,” said AdventHealth Palm Coast CEO Dr. Ron Jimenez. “We're proud to have this facility right in Palm Coast, where we can train present and future nurses to serve all of North Florida.”