Purdue Global and Northern Light Inland Hospital celebrate opening of state-of-the-art simulation center

The state-of-the-art center on the Inland campus at 222 Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville, next to the hospital, will provide hands-on training for Purdue Global nursing students and Inland Hospital staff. EMS and the community’s other first responders will also have access to the center.

The simulation center “patients” include adult, pediatric, labor/delivery mother and neonatal manikins. They will be used for the Purdue Global School of Nursing and a variety of Inland Hospital staff courses, such as Advanced Life Support, Pediatric Life Support, and Neonatal Resuscitation. The four training manikins represent an investment of nearly $300,000 by Purdue Global. 

The center’s space consists of large high-fidelity simulation suites staged to mock hospital rooms with audio/video capabilities, a master control room, several conference rooms to hold debriefings, a dedicated skills lab, break area, nurses’ station, central supply area, medication preparation space, offices and storage space.

“We’re excited to enhance the delivery of health care by developing new and innovative methods to educate and train in a simulation center like this with a laser focus on patient safety and the transition to practice,” said Melissa Burdi, Purdue Global vice president and dean of the Purdue Global School of Nursing.

Tricia Costigan, president of Inland Hospital, praised the new collaboration, saying, “This is a big win for our community and a true collaboration that benefits the patients and communities that we all proudly serve.”

The simulation center was originally announced in February, and its creation expands an existing partnership between the two entities, in which Purdue Global students have completed their clinical rotations at Northern Light Inland Hospital. 

The Northern Light Inland Hospital simulation lab is the fourth partnership between Purdue Global and a community health system.

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/.

About Northern Light Inland Hospital

Northern Light Inland Hospital is a Waterville community hospital with primary and specialty care physician offices in Waterville, Oakland, Unity, and Madison. We are proud to be part of Northern Light Health, a healthcare delivery system of more than 10,000 employees across Maine. Our mission is to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. Part of that mission is asking “How are You?” to reconnect with people and families so we can find new and innovative ways to make healthcare work for all of Maine. Learn more at northernlighthealth.org/Inland and northernlighthealth.org/Howareyou.