Simulation Lab

If you or your loved one is admitted to the hospital, you want peace of mind knowing your providers have the training to be proactive, not reactive. The Simulation Lab provides this training for nurses and doctors in a realistic setting, which includes three high-fidelity simulators, or manikins made to look and respond like human patients. Clinical professionals from our facilities use these simulators to practice problem solving and hone reaction times in a real-time, safe environment.

Physicians, nurses and staff have gained valuable experience responding in the situations below in their typical environment:

Simulations in the operating room and cardiac interventional lab
Simulated anaphylactic reactions to chemotherapy at the Cancer Center
Pediatric code simulation at Valley West Hospital
Simulations with the infant-sized manikin in the Maternity Suites
Code situations with Pharmacy personnel
Respiratory therapy intubations
Neonatal resuscitation certification/training
Emergency room trauma scenarios for both Kishwaukee and Valley West Nurses
Team training
Continual simulations for inpatient staff

iStan technology

The Simulation Lab at Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb is outfitted with high fidelity simulators that enable nurses, physicians, and other providers to provide you clinical excellence.

The Simulation Lab is a computer control room and mock patient room that houses iStan, a wireless simulated patient equipped with fully operational functions including bleeding, tears and other fluids.
iStan also has realistic physiology and responses including EKG rhythms.
Providers can administer medications through IVs, oxygen through the nose and mouth, and catheters.
iStan speaks and reacts as a human being would to whatever stimulus is presented. For example, if a caregiver administers the wrong kind of medication, iStan responds as a human would.

Simulated scenarios in infant and child care

The lab also has a high fidelity, computer-controlled adolescent-sized manikin that simulates unique aspects of caring for a child. In addition, a non-computerized premature newborn-sized manikin and incubator enhance providers’ skills in handling higher risk babies.

Like iStan, these simulators are wireless simulated patients equipped with fully operational functions including bleeding, tears, and other fluids.
They exhibit realistic physiology and responses.
The adolescent- and newborn-sized manikins speak and react as a human being would to whatever stimulus is presented.

Committed to advancing care

Northwestern Medicine believes in innovation and advancing care to provide you and your family with the highest quality patient outcomes. The Simulation Lab would not be possible without the dedication of our administration, the commitment of our board of directors, Foundation, and Auxiliary at Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals, and the engagement of our staff. We continue to expand our technological capabilities and our expertise in order to offer the best care available to the range of patients we see everyday.