About the Skills Centre
Boosting skills and confidence for healthcare trainees and professionals
Health professionals and their patients have been benefiting from the world-class training facility at the Skills Centre for Health Sciences since it officially opened in April 2008 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Centre is improving patient care by providing healthcare trainees and professionals in all health fields with a place to learn and practice techniques in a simulated clinical environment.
Hands-on education via simulated learning environments
Anatomy, medical procedures and techniques, simulations and video/telehealth are the focus of the healthcare training at the Skills Centre. The 4000 sq. ft. facility boasts virtual operating rooms, simulators, lab space and a didactic/video/teleconferencing theatre. The goal of the innovative, hands-on training received at the Centre is to reduce surgical wait times, increase patient safety, and improve recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in Atlantic Canada.
Working together for improved patient care
The Skills Centre is a joint initiative of Capital Health, IWK Health Centre, and Dalhousie University. In addition, it has been generously supported by Johnson and Johnson Medical Products, Alcon Canada, Olympus, Stryker, Karl Storz Endoscopy Canada, Medline Canada and Covidien, as well as private partners.
Mission Statement
To provide healthcare professionals with a facility dedicated to helping them improve their skills, train in an interprofessional environment, work with new technologies and learn how to provide state-of-the-art health care to their patients.
Skills Centre Priorities
- Build a strong and vibrant community by actively advancing our mission to improve patient care through skills training, interprofessional collaboration and adopting proven technology.
- Seek solutions to unsolved clinical problems by enabling the integration of engineering and science centres with clinicians.
- Contribute to improved patient care through innovative leadership practices that reward performance through teamwork.
- Achieve financial sustainability by diversifying funding sources and employing financial and operational best practices.
