RWJBarnabas Health Expands Nurse Training, Adds New Operating Room Simulation Lab

RWJBarnabas Health has opened a new, sophisticated operating room (OR) simulation lab for advanced nurse training and education at The Institute for Nursing Excellence, located at the Eisenhower Building in Livingston. The OR simulation lab is designed to replicate real-world OR environments, complete with surgical lighting, equipment, instrumentation, patient mannequins, and audiovisual technology.

This expanded simulation environment includes 4,062 square feet of additional space, containing two simulated operating rooms, a sub-sterile training room, and a 50-person classroom 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, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation, Research & The Institute for Nursing Excellence, 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 the new lab in Livingston and similar facilities at locations at The Institute for Nursing Excellence in Oceanport and at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway, new and experienced nurses across the health system now have greater access to convenient, hands-on training, further strengthening their preparedness and confidence in the OR, as well as their career development.

The OR simulation labs are part of RWJBarnabas Health’s investment in nursing education and professional growth through The Institute for Nursing Excellence and will serve as a cornerstone for the Foundations of OR Nursing courses, supporting both novice and transitioning nurses as they develop the technical skills, clinical judgment, and confidence required for safe practice in the operating room. Through simulation-based education grounded in evidence-based practice, learners can rehearse complex procedures, manage intraoperative emergencies, and strengthen communication and teamwork in a psychologically safe environment before applying these skills in clinical practice.

The Institute for Nursing Excellence supports nurses across the system with their education, certification, residency programs, leadership development, and more. It also offers nurses the opportunity to level up their skills and credentials while continuing to provide high-quality care across the health system.

The investment in enhanced OR labs complements the health system’s recent expansion of the RWJBarnabas Health School of Nursing, with campus locations now in Elizabeth and Oceanport. Together, the School of Nursing and The Institute for Nursing Excellence have developed a comprehensive education continuum for nurses from their time as a student to becoming a professional, addressing workforce needs while strengthening retention and long-term career pathways for nurses within the RWJBarnabas Health system.