New Skills Centre at the University of Iceland
A new Skills Centre at the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Iceland was launched Thursday 10 November; vastly improving skills teaching at School of Health Sciences. Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector, formally opened the Skills Centre, and at the same occasion a new virtual patient was named.
The space for teaching skills at the Faculty of nursing doubles with the new Centre. Skills teaching for students from most of the faculties in health sciences is planned at the new Centre. The Skills Centre is around 300 m2 and is equipped with high level technology; including computerised virtual patients, a number of simulators, and various venues for interactive teaching. The Skills Centre is situated on the Second floor and in the basement of Eirberg, the building that houses the Faculty of Nursing at Eiríksgata.
An absolutely fantastic project
Helga Jónsdóttir, head of the Faculty of Nursing, opened the ceremony and talked about the origins of the project. Renovations of the Faculty’s building provided an opportunity to improve the former Skills Centre, located in the basement of the Eirberg, opened up. Helga thanked a number of people for their contributions to the new Skills Centre, especially Margrét Sigmundsdóttir, Project Manager at the Faculty of Nursing and supervisor at the Skills Centre; Þorsteinn Jónsson, adjunct in Emergency and intensive care nursing; Ingólfur. B. Aðalbjörnsson, manager of buildings at the University of Iceland, and Unnar F. Bjarnason, Head of Construction Division. These four people oversaw the design and completion of the Skills Centre.
Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector, formally launched the Skills Centre and congratulated the faculty on an “absolutely fantastic” project. Jón Atli talked about the importance of modern teaching methods with a specific emphasis on simulation. “Modern technology increasingly makes it possible to create simulations of the reality awaiting students at the end of studies. Important tools in this context are simulators that imitate reality enabling students to use their knowledge and ability and train their practical skills in safe circumstances as often as needed in a way formerly unknown. The Skills Centre of the Faculty of Nursing, launched today, is a marvellous example of such a tool” said Jón Atli.
Páll Matthíasson, President of Landspítali, also spoke and congratulated the Faculty of Nursing and University.
Finally Margrét and Þorsteinn introduced the functions and teaching and study opportunities at the Skills Centre. The aim of the operation of the Skills Centre is to provide students in health sciences with teaching and training in patient care. At the Skills Centre teaching takes place in safe circumstances and actions can be repeated as often as necessary. Real situations are simulated and students prepared as well as possible for work in health institutions. Reactions to rare and life threatening situations can be taught and trained and patient safety thus improved.
A little virtual patient named
The Faculty of Nursing requested the assistance of the university community to find a name for a new virtual patient who represents a child patient. Just over two hundred proposals were received and the staff of the Skills Centre picked the most apt name in their opinion, Gutti.
