Our Space

The simulation center at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing is located on the first floor of Sue & Bill Gross Nursing and Health Sciences Hall and encompasses approximately 9,500 square feet of active learning space.

The center boasts a 3,000-square-foot hospital-bed unit (HBU) that can be partitioned into two learning spaces. This space has a traditional eight bed hospital bed bay with low and high-fidelity simulators and manikins. The room is used primarily for nursing students to learn basic and foundational skills and techniques as part of the nursing curriculum. This room is equipped with both computers and Zoom Room capabilities.

Four distinct simulation suites focus on intensive care, pediatric intensive care, maternity, and home care. The students use these simulation suites to combine the concepts they have learned through their didactic and clinical experiences. With the help of the simulation staff and faculty, students take part in nursing scenarios with varying complexities.

Four dedicated exam rooms and two flex rooms can be converted into exam rooms as needed by the curriculum. The DNP program primarily uses the exam rooms to teach and assess clinical encounters and patient examinations for the nurse practitioner program. These rooms are also used in high-stakes objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs).

There are three debriefing rooms, two smaller debriefing rooms used for pre-brief and debriefing of simulation sessions, and one large multi-functional debriefing room based on the curricular needs. All debriefing rooms have Zoom Room capabilities.

The simulation center has two control rooms, one control room to manage the four simulation suites and a separate, dedicated control room for the exam rooms.

The center has a 1,200-square-foot program office with a small reception area, touchdown space for faculty, and the Program staff offices.

The simulation center also has a dedicated 500-square-foot nursing student lounge that students can access before or after simulation activities or if they want a quiet place to study. The students have Zoom Room capabilities and a print station.

Hospital Bed Unit

The largest room in the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing Simulation Center, the hospital bed unit houses a large skills-training space that can be divided into two rooms, or 8 realistic hospital room/inpatient spaces, or 4 outpatient exam spaces for assessment and other clinical skills. The unit also incorporations additional flexible spaces, with a crib, baby warmer, gurney. Large middle tables for instruction and skills labs are set up to incorporate projectors for teaching. Students practice skills and assessments in the unit. Equipment includes: Vital signs, monitors, headwalls, screens/projectors and diverse manikins of different ages, gender, skin color.

DNP instructor and students with patient actor in Flex/Exam room

Exam Room / Flex Rooms

Equipped as an outpatient clinic exam rooms, these units are used primarily for advanced practice nursing students (Family Nurse Practitioners/DNP). Students practice clinic visits, exam skills, history taking and telehealth visits with actors hired to portray patients. There is a dedicated control room for viewing and evaluating activities via the “Sim Capture” AV system. Equipment includes: Zoom setup for small group conferencing, equipment, exam tables, convertible exam chairs, computers, standard assessment tools and portable handwashing sinks.

SIM Center Debrief Room with table, cleaning supplies chairs, video monitor, whiteboards and debrief posters.

Debriefing Rooms

These Zoom-capable rooms are where students begin and end their simulation experience. Students meet in the debriefing rooms before the simulation for the pre-briefing where we establish psychological safety and prepare them for the scenario. Students return after the 20-30 minute scenario to debrief, a reflective activity where students re-examine their performance and receive feedback in safe learning environment. At the school, we use the PEARLS (Promoting Excellence And Reflective Learning in Simulation) approach.

Students and faculty performing a Code Simulation in the ICU Suite in the UC Irvine Sue & Blll Gross School of Nursing Simulation Center

Simulation Suites – ICU/Med/Surg/Peds/OB

These simulation suites are flexible to be whatever the space needs to look like and provides a realistic intensive care unit environment for students. Equipment includes: Headwalls with working 02, suction, IV pumps, adult and pediatric crash carts, simulated supplies, patient monitors on wall, large screen smart TVs.

SIM Center Community/Homecare Suite with Hospital bed, recliner, rug, sink, dining table and chairs

Simulation Suite – Community/Home

Flexible to be whatever the space needs to look like, and is set up with common home conditions and hazards. The room simulates interacting with clients and patients in a home environment where students can practice home visits and safety assessments. Equipment includes: Large screen smart TV and a non-functioning bathroom to practice safe transfer and home care.

Simulation tech watching a simulation in the control center behind one-way glass

Main Control Room

The main control room is the “Heart” of the “SIM Center” and houses the AV system and computers that control the manikins. Facilitators view students in the SIM rooms through 1-way glass and via the AV screen system.

SIM Center Provier Station and waiting area

Provider Station

The provider station enables simulated interprofessional hand-offs and is a place where students can congregate and can become familiar with the healthcare environment. It can be set up to simulate a variety of settings, such as a disaster triage space, a clinic waiting room or an inpatient nurses’ station.