Children’s Minnesota simulation program's mission is to make health care safer for children by advancing patient safety within our own walls and delivering pediatric training to other health care teams within the region.

Our vision is to be this region’s pediatric simulation resource and contribute to Children’s Minnesota reputation as a high reliability organization by:

• Offering training to health care organizations and health care professionals seeking to improve their response to pediatric emergencies and those seeking to develop as simulation based facilitators.
• Using the most advanced training technology and team science to advance patient safety efforts.
• Supporting health care research utilizing simulation.

To schedule a simulation course or tour one of our locations:

Call us: 612-813-6988
Email us

Children's Simulation Center Edina

Children's Business Campus
5901 Lincoln Drive
Edina, MN 55436

Children's Simulation Center Minneapolis

Michael and Judith Wright Family Pediatric Simulation Center
2525 Chicago Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Children's Simulation Center St. Paul

Suite 3200
345 Smith Ave N
St. Paul, MN 55102

What is simulation?

Health care simulation is a technique to replace and amplify real experiences with guided ones to evoke a “real-to-life” experience without any risk to patients and their families. Simulation-based training creates structured activities that represent actual or potential situations in practice. Simulation education specialists partner with clinical experts and educators to create flexible curriculum offerings to meet a variety of needs from procedural skill training to complex team simulations. Pediatric and neonatal scenarios are brought to life by our simulation operations specialists, reproducing a clinical environment that provides some of the same physical challenges and mental stressors one would have in a real event. The simulation training experience includes:

• Introduction to simulation and equipment
• Simulation exercises using task trainers, low or high-fidelity mannequins or patient actors that replicate real scenarios and real-time responses
• Debriefing with or without video review of simulation

Our programs enhance knowledge, critical care skills, clinical decision-making, communication and teamwork — all in a supportive, risk-free environment. Simulations cover everything from pediatric and neonatal stabilization algorithms and procedures to teamwork and communication training. In addition we can use actors as parents to simulate the challenges of breaking unexpected news and comforting distraught parents. Simulations prepare novice nurses and resident doctors for practice and provide practicing experts with high-risk patient care challenges to hone their teamwork and communication skills.

What to expect

Simulation can be a transformative experience for practicing health care professionals. Working in a simulated environment allows teams the ability to make mistakes without fear of patient harm and to gain powerful insight into potential areas for improvement. Simulation helps professionals gain confidence in leadership skills and ability to work as part of a team caring for critically ill children. Best of all, participants of all levels leave with a wealth of new skills to enhance their practice.

We believe that everyone who participates in simulation is well trained, cares about doing their best, and wants to improve.  This basic assumption provides a rich experience that includes direct feedback and respectful dialogue.

Children’s Minnesota offers a variety of simulation experiences to meet your team’s needs:

In-situ simulation - Our staff travels into clinical areas to provide teams with risk-free training in their own environments. Simulation allows teams to test new equipment, practice protocols, uncover latent safety errors and give new facilities a “trial run” before opening — all with zero risk to patients.

Lab-based simulation - Children’s training center at the Edina business campus has 3 simulation labs providing an ideal setting for longer and larger trainings.  Children’s Minneapolis on-site simulation center provides an exact replica of a critical care room and the St. Paul simulation center also provides an on-site option for providers on that campus.  All sites offer state-of-the-art video recording, debriefing space, and adjacent classrooms or conference areas. 

Mobile simulation - Our 40-foot, fully equipped mobile simulation center can replicate an emergency room, delivery room or other acute care setting and brings our most popular programs to teams across the Upper Midwest. Use these specifications to prepare your facility for a visit from our mobile simulation center.

Pediatric Resuscitation and Trauma Team Training

This course puts PALS, ATLS, TNCC and Crisis Resource Management (CRM) into practice. It creates realistic and dynamic pediatric emergency situations that require health care personnel to apply their knowledge, including resuscitation and trauma care science, and their technical and clinical decision-making skills in their response as a team.

Objectives:

• Recognize the unique health care needs and challenges of caring for pediatric patients and their families.
• Work together with colleagues to improve team response.
• Identify cognitive, technical, and behavioral skills necessary to execute appropriate responses to critical medical events.
• Practice these skills in a realistic simulated environment that simulates the dynamic nature of the clinical setting in which each team practices.

Neonatal Resuscitation and Stabilization of the Critically Ill Neonate

Putting NRP and the S.T.A.B.L.E. program into practice, this course creates realistic, dynamic, neonatal emergency situations that require health care personnel to apply their knowledge of NRP and S.T.A.B.L.E. guidelines, while utilizing technical and clinical decision-making skills in their response as a team. This course is offered as a half day or full day program.

Objectives:

• Recognize the unique health care needs and challenges of caring for neonatal patients and their families.
• Work together with colleagues to improve team response.
• Identify cognitive, technical, and behavioral skills necessary to execute appropriate responses to critical medical events.
• Practice these skills in a realistic simulated environment that simulates the dynamic nature of the clinical setting in which each team practices.

Customized simulation services

We offer unique simulation services customized to meet the needs of your organization. Other simulation services may include but are not limited to:

• Competency-based clinical skill training and evaluation
• Institutional policy implementation
• Test of new spaces, processes and equipment
• Debriefing training