November 7, 2025
DRAYTON VALLEY – Healthcare teams at the Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre, along with area students enrolled in the rural community nursing program, now have a dedicated space to refine their skills through simulated patient care scenarios.
The new simulation lab, completed last month, offers a technologically integrated room that can mimic a hospital setting, providing immersive learning with high-tech clinical equipment, manikins and an audiovisual system for remote observation. The lab was made possible, in part, through $175,000 in funding support from the Drayton Valley Health Foundation and Drayton Valley Hospital Auxiliary.
“It’s great to see this program accessible to rural students in Drayton Valley. This space strengthens local healthcare education and empowers our community by ensuring future nurses have the opportunity to train right here at home,” says Andrew Boitchenko, MLA for Drayton Valley-Devon. “This addition to our local hospital will lead to better patient outcomes and a stronger healthcare system for everyone in the Drayton Valley area.”
The lab was designed in partnership between the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing simulation team and Educate, Simulate, Innovate, Motivate (eSIM), the provincial simulation program of Alberta Health Services (AHS).
The use of simulation prepares current healthcare teams and first- and second-year students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for high-risk situations, develops confidence in a safe learning environment, and bridges the gap between textbook learning and real-life situations, with the freedom to learn from mistakes without causing patient harm.
“For students, staff and physicians to deliver the best care possible, they must practise, especially less-frequent, high-acuity medical events and emergencies. Simulation offers a unique and meaningful way to practice clinical skills for all types of scenarios in a controlled environment,” says Jason Laberge, Director of Human Factors and eSIM Provincial Patient Safety with AHS.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the community’s support to help make the necessary renovations, and to our University of Calgary partners who donated equipment for the lab.”
Prior to the completion of the simulation lab, educators with the University of Calgary and AHS clinical nurse educators would bring training and simulation manikins to the hospital to deliver education sessions, as well as utilize classroom space for the students.
Simulated scenarios within the new lab can replicate practical situations specific to the needs of different departments and programs across the hospital, as situations students might face in other rural healthcare settings, including emergency, labour and delivery, and medicine units.
Students in the rural community nursing program – launched in Drayton Valley last year – will utilize the simulation space regularly as part of their studies.
“We are grateful for the support from the Drayton Valley Health Foundation, the Drayton Valley Hospital Auxiliary and AHS,” says Dr. Catherine Laing, Dean, Faculty of Nursing. “Their continued commitment ensures students in the Drayton Valley rural route cohort have access to the same quality of teaching and learning opportunities as urban students.”
For the Drayton Valley Health Foundation, helping bring the simulation lab to life was a natural fit with its mission of pursuing a higher quality of healthcare for the community.
“Thanks to the generous support from our community, our healthcare teams of today and tomorrow have a dedicated place in the hospital to develop a solid foundation in patient safety and apply what they have learned when faced with real-world situations,” say Carol Vowk, Chair of the Drayton Valley Health Foundation. “Supporting educational opportunities like this ensures students, our hospital staff and our doctors are well-equipped to care for patients and families in our community.”
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Alberta Health Services provides a range of healthcare services for more than five million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide excellent, patient-focused healthcare that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
