Practice like a pro: Don't hope for the best — train for it
Just like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t wait until game day to perfect his shot, health-care teams at the Stollery Children’s Hospital don’t wait until an emergency to practice saving lives.
At the Stollery Children’s Hospital, the Simulation for Care, Understanding, Betterment and Safety (SimCUBS) program helps teams train like elite athletes, running realistic emergency scenarios, refining teamwork and building technical skills in a psychologically safe environment.
Thanks to donor support, the SimCUBS teams have a state-of-the-art simulation lab right inside the Stollery. This space allows nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and others to rehearse high-stakes situations before they happen in real life, because every second counts.
The impact doesn’t stop at the Hospital doors. The SimCUBS team brings simulations on the road to patient rooms, schools and rural hospitals across Alberta ensuring world-class pediatric care reaches every child, no matter where they are.
Since launching in 2021, SimCUBS has delivered more than 2,400 simulations involving over 4,300 participants – including Stollery staff, community health partners and families. Together, they’ve rehearsed everything from resuscitating premature infants to navigating trauma-informed mental health crises in teens.
The team also uses simulation to train families of kids with complex medical needs, like those going home on breathing machines. They help caregivers practice real-life emergency scenarios in a safe setting, so they feel confident and capable when it matters most.
