Eastern Connecticut State University and Hartford HealthCare on Wednesday launched a new hospital-based nursing simulation lab inside Windham Hospital, aiming to bolster the region’s healthcare workforce amid a statewide nursing shortage.
The 6,500-square-foot Eastern/HHC Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI) is the largest nurse-training facility in eastern Connecticut. The center, funded in part by a $1.2 million grant from the CT Health Horizons Initiative, will give students hands-on training in a hospital environment.
“By embedding this simulation center within a hospital setting, we’re giving students a real-world environment to learn and grow,” said Donna Handley, president of Windham Hospital.
The lab is the final piece of Eastern’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which welcomed its third cohort this fall. Students will train on high-tech mannequins and in simulated patient rooms designed for intensive care, pediatrics, geriatrics and maternity.
With 138 students enrolled since its launch, Eastern’s nursing program is among the university’s fastest growing. The new lab will help prepare graduates to enter the workforce.
Hartford HealthCare President and CEO Jeffrey Flaks called the collaboration a model for how universities and health systems can respond to workforce shortages. “Together, we are investing in the future of healthcare — one student, one simulation, one life-changing experience at a time,” he said.
