RWJBarnabas Health has opened a new operating room simulation laboratory at The Institute for Nursing Excellence in Livingston. The facility, located in the Eisenhower Building, is designed to replicate actual operating room settings and is equipped with surgical lighting, medical equipment, patient mannequins, and audiovisual technology.
The lab expansion adds 4,062 square feet of space and includes two simulated operating rooms, a sub-sterile training room, and a classroom that can accommodate up to 50 people. These features are intended to support nurse onboarding, perioperative residency programs, specialty training, and ongoing skills development.
“This space reflects our belief that preparation matters, by bringing together nursing and interprofessional education, while integrating simulation to advance safe, high-quality care,” said Mary Beth Russell, PhD, MA, RN, NPDA-BC, NEA-BC, FNAP, CPHQ, CNE, senior vice president at The Center for Professional Development, Innovation, Research & The Institute for Nursing Excellence at RWJBarnabas Health. “Simulation bridges classroom learning and clinical practice, by allowing learners to apply knowledge, exercise judgment, and learn in a safe, risk-free, structured environment. Here, learners develop clinical judgment, confidence, and accountability, with patient safety at the center.”
With this new facility in Livingston joining similar labs in Oceanport and at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway, nurses across the RWJBarnabas Health system now have expanded access to hands-on training opportunities. This aims to enhance their readiness for work in operating rooms as well as support their career growth within the organization.
The OR simulation labs are part of RWJBarnabas Health’s broader investment in nursing education through The Institute for Nursing Excellence. They will play a central role in the Foundations of OR Nursing courses by helping both new and transitioning nurses build technical skills and clinical judgment needed for safe practice.
Through these simulation-based educational initiatives grounded in evidence-based practices, participants can rehearse complex procedures and manage emergencies before encountering them in real clinical situations. The Institute also offers additional programs supporting nurse education such as certification opportunities and leadership development.
This initiative aligns with recent expansions of the RWJBarnabas Health School of Nursing—which now has campuses in Elizabeth and Oceanport—creating an educational continuum from student training through professional advancement within the health system.
