Welcome to the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Center for Clinical Simulation and Procedure Training

The Abbott Northwestern Center for Clinical Simulation was started by the internal medicine residency program in 2006 in response to the international trend towards an increasing role of high-fidelity patient simulation to foster experiential learning for our students, residents, and faculty in a safe environment with opportunity for extensive analysis and teaching.

Although simulation technology is relatively new to the field of medicine, the technology has previously been well established in other professions. Flight simulators for pilots and astronauts, military training exercises, management training for business executives, and technical operations for nuclear power plants are all examples of simulation technology currently in use by other professionals.

The clinical simulation center currently allows Abbott Northwestern Hospital's faculty and trainees to apply state-of-the-art simulation-based learning in a risk-free environment with the ultimate goal being benefit to our patients. The center's initial focus was on invasive procedure training and physical exam skills. The extensive procedure-based simulation program allows residents to develop the skills and comfort necessary to safely perform invasive procedures. It is a critical part of the internal medicine residency program's first year "Procedures and Consult" rotation.

The construction of the new ANW Center for Clinical Simulation that is currently underway will be completed by the end of 2008. The simulation center's new ICU/ER venue, centered on the new SimMan3G, will provide high-fidelity simulation to facilitate multidisciplinary team training for high-risk, low-frequency events including code simulations as well as other scenarios. The center's audiovisual technology allows for in-depth debriefing during and following simulation events. The current invasive procedure and physical exam simulation will remain significant components of the new center. While the target learners for the center is expanding with this exciting new construction, the focus and leadership of the ANW Center for Clinical Simulation remains with the internal medicine residency program where it started.