FREE Virtual Simulations for Healthcare Education and Training!

Created by Canadian educators and grounded in defined pedagogical objectives, these virtual simulations provide clinical learning experiences in a risk-free environment. 

• Technical Details: Most simulations run on a computer and can be accessed via a standard two-dimensional screen, while some require a virtual reality headset. 
• How It Works: Students—individually or in groups—are presented with clinical scenarios to investigate and assess, with feedback provided on their decisions. 
• Searchable Features: Filter simulations by profession or search by topic and learning objectives for easy integration into your curriculum. 
• Proven Quality: Each simulation has been peer-reviewed and piloted for effectiveness. 
• Collaboration and Funding: Originally created through CICan’s Virtu-WIL program and funded by the Government of Canada, this collection represents a collaborative effort with Simulation Canada and post-secondary institutions across Canada to support healthcare education. 

Explore scenarios designed to build clinical expertise, enhance communication, and prepare students for real-world challenges. Simulations include patient care assessments and team-based interventions, emphasizing decision-making and collaboration. 

Examples: 

• Care of a Patient at End-of-Life – Provide individualized, compassionate care and symptom management for a dying patient. 
• Postpartum Assessment – Perform and prioritize assessments while communicating findings effectively. 
• Care of a Post-Operative Patient with an Epidural Pain Management System – Manage assessments, pain interventions, and complications for post-operative care. 
• Surgical Discharge Teaching – Guide patients through safe, client-centered discharge and recovery planning.  
• Communication in High-Stress Situations – Navigate conflict resolution and teamwork to enhance patient care. 
• Interdisciplinary Use: Many simulations, such as Crisis Prevention and Collaboration and Teamwork, are applicable to other healthcare professions. 

Engage students with scenarios that bring laboratory techniques, protocols, and troubleshooting to life. These simulations provide a safe, hands-on way to build core lab competencies and enhance decision-making skills. 

Examples: 

• Resolving Inadequate Sample Submissions in a Clinical Laboratory – Develop strategies to manage and resolve submission issues.  
• Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: Disc Diffusion Procedure – Apply knowledge to perform and troubleshoot manual testing in microbiology. 
• Histology Staining, Procedure and Quality Assurance Checks – Explore staining techniques and ensure quality standards. 
• Transfusion Medicine: Antibody Investigation – Practice identifying antibodies and interpreting transfusion results using real-world tools and procedures
• Interdisciplinary Use: Certain simulations, such as A Virtual Simulation Game on the Communication of Laboratory Results are relevant for other healthcare disciplines where effective communication is essential. 

Prepare students for high-pressure scenarios with paramedicine-focused simulations. These cases emphasize critical thinking, scene management, and life-saving interventions in dynamic and unpredictable settings. 

Examples: 

• Cardiac Arrest of an Infant – Respond to a pediatric emergency with assessment, rapid intervention, and family communication. 
• Mass Casualty Scenario – Apply triage techniques to prioritize care and manage a multi-patient emergency. 
• EMS: Securing a Difficult Airway (VR) – Manage airway burns and intubation challenges in a virtual reality scenario. 
• Mental Health Response in the Community – Support mental wellness through assessment, communication, and resource identification. 
• Interdisciplinary Use: Simulations like Conflict Resolution and De-escalation of a Patient Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Drug and Alcohol Use provide valuable insights for other healthcare professions dealing with patient communication and mental health. 

Help students develop both technical expertise and patient-centered care with simulations tailored to the unique challenges of diagnostic imaging. These cases focus on fostering clinical adaptability, effective communication, and inclusivity in sonography practices. 

Examples: 

• Modifying a Sonography Patient Exam – Learn to adapt imaging techniques to meet patient needs. 
• Performing Endovaginal Ultrasound – Build proficiency in specialized ultrasound procedures. 
• Supporting Trans and Non-binary Patients in Diagnostic Imaging – Foster inclusivity and patient comfort during sonography care. 
• Trauma-Informed Sonography Care – Apply trauma-informed principles to enhance patient safety, comfort, and trust during obstetrical imaging. 
• Interdisciplinary Use: Scenarios like Feedback Leads to Conflict and Managing a Challenging Patient Interaction are broadly relevant, equipping students in all healthcare fields to navigate professional challenges effectively.  

Equip students with hands-on experience in managing respiratory crises and interventions through immersive simulations. These scenarios focus on critical decision-making, airway management, and patient-centered care. 

Examples:

• Initiation of Non-Invasive Ventilation for Respiratory Distress – Initiate non-invasive ventilation, adjust settings, and assess effectiveness in patients with respiratory distress. 
• Difficult Intubation – Perform airway assessments and manage a failed intubation scenario using alternative strategies and emergency interventions. 
• Initiation and Maintenance of Mechanical Ventilation – Set up and optimize mechanical ventilation, interpret key diagnostics, and respond to complications. 
• Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation – Evaluate a patient’s readiness to wean from a ventilator through assessments, diagnostics, and team communication.
• Interdisciplinary Use: Scenarios like Motivational Interviewing for Smoking Cessation and RT Role in Determination of Death by Neurologic Criteria are applicable across healthcare fields, helping students develop essential communication, patient care, and decision-making skills.