Wednesday, August 31, 2011, Calgary, Alberta – SAIT Polytechnic’s Respiratory Therapy students will have more breathing space when classes begin next week. The School of Health and Public Safety today opened the doors to its newest Human Patient Simulation Lab. The innovative training facility acts as a hospital ward, emergency room or intensive care unit and comes complete with new wireless state-of-the-art simulation mannequins to create life-like scenarios for students training to work in hospital settings.

“This year alone, more than 110 respiratory therapy students will be better prepared for real patients as a result of this new simulation lab,” says Irene Lewis, President and CEO of SAIT. “The additional competencies taught directly on campus through the simulation lab will also be of direct benefit to Albertans by putting less pressure on clinical sites during practicum training.”

The Government of Alberta provided $400,000 toward the now-doubled lab space and modernized simulation training equipment. Students will be better prepared for real-life health emergencies once they enter the work force.

“This innovative facility demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that Alberta students have the best learning environments and opportunities available to them,” said Greg Weadick, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. “Enhancing the real world simulations in our classrooms and labs, provides Albertans with enhanced practical, hands-on learning opportunities so they are well prepared for future careers as health care professionals.”

The new Human Patient Simulation Lab can be found within SAIT’s Centre for Advanced Patient Care Simulation. Respiratory Therapy, Emergency Medical Technology – Paramedic, and several other Health and Public Safety programs benefit from simulation training. Realistic patient simulation mannequins are used to mimic human physiological parameters such as breathing, pulses, blinking and speaking. Students are challenged with difficult patient care problems that can be recreated again and again until confidence and competence is achieved.

SAIT Polytechnic is one of Canada’s most exciting destinations for post-secondary education, offering more than 100 career programs that position people for success in technology, trades and business. A leader in innovation, SAIT also collaborates with industry on applied research and delivers corporate training worldwide. SAIT is a member of Polytechnics Canada and one of Alberta’s Top 50 Employers for 2011.

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