Step inside Chamberlain University's high-tech training lab where students learn to manage real-life emergencies before they ever set foot in a hospital.
Many of Adtalem Global Education's Chamberlain University students point to their time in the SIMCARE CENTER nursing skills laboratories as the first time they felt like a “real nurse.”
In the SIMCARE Center, nursing students are stepping into some of the most intense moments of healthcare, all before ever treating a live patient. Through high-fidelity simulation models like Lucina, a birth simulator capable of replicating labor complications and vital sign changes in real time, students gain hands-on experience that builds clinical judgment, communication and confidence.
Emily Kilburg, a student learning specialist at Chamberlain’s Stockbridge campus in Georgia, plays a central role in preparing these scenarios. “When we use our birth simulator, it replicates the physiologic and psychosocial responses associated with childbirth. I can take that mannequin through various stages of labor, fetal presentation variations and potential complications.”
The goal isn’t to perfect every response. It’s to safely make mistakes and learn from them.
Learning to Respond Under Pressure
Marilyn Johnson, class of ’25, recalls her experience in the maternal-child nursing course, where she participated in the birthing simulation as part of her clinical training.
“We were split off into groups and presented with two scenarios,” she says. “One was high-risk postpartum hemorrhage, and the other focused on caring for the baby and mother after delivery.”
In the hemorrhage simulation, Johnson and her peers worked rapidly to assess blood loss, call for support, administer medication and care for both the newborn and the mother.
“It was kind of an intense situation because knowing what to do next was part of the lesson. It prepares us. At least now we have a step-by-step of what to do if this happens.”
The second scenario added another twist—prior to the simulation, one of the participating nursing students was instructed to faint shortly after birth, role-playing caring for a mother in distress while losing a member of the care team. “The mom wanted to see her baby, so we had to figure out how to care for her and keep the nursing student stable at the same time.”
It’s More Than Just Practice, It’s Building Confidence
The simulations are more than academic exercises—they are emotional experiences that stick with students.
“Mouths open,” Kilburg says, describing students’ reactions when they first witness the birthing simulation. “They are in awe of how real it feels.”
These scenarios are designed to foster pattern recognition, clinical judgment and team-based problem-solving.
For Johnson, who aspires to work in a cardiovascular intensive care unit, the SIMCARE experience has been vital. “Especially in emergent situations, like inserting an IV or assessing a patient, the simulation center helps you recognize changes fast, and if not, you’ll definitely hear it in debrief.”
For Jesus Garcia Jr., MSN ’24, BSN ’20, “Simulation … bridged the gap between lecture learning and real-world clinical experience.” Read more on Garcia’s journey in Mentoring the Next Generation of Nurses.
A Safe Space to Learn, Reflect and Grow
Students typically complete two birthing simulations during their training: one standard delivery and one with a complication. Kilburg occasionally adds newborn care into the mix to give students additional exposure.
While some may never witness a live birth during clinical rotations, they’ll graduate having practiced what it’s like to communicate with a laboring patient, perform a cervical exam, respond to critical shifts in vitals and call in additional help when necessary.
“It’s just them and the patient,” Kilburg says. “They really have to think for themselves.”
And that’s the point. As Kilburg puts it:
From nurses to physicians, see how graduates from Adtalem’s institutions are turning healthcare degrees into Degrees of Impact.
For more information, email the Adtalem Global Communications Team: adtalemmedia@adtalem.com.
