4 Ways to Jump-Start New-Hire Confidence with a DIY Simulation Lab

A lack of practical experience can shake anyone’s confidence in the OR. Especially new surgical residents, technologists, or nurses eager to feel comfortable handling supplies.

Terri Fetty, lead surgical technologist of trauma services at University Medical Center in New Orleans, knew there was a way she could help bridge the gap.

So, she rolled up her sleeves, cleared out a vacant office, and created her own DIY simulation lab—a space designed to take the fear of making a mistake out of learning.

“In this space, any member of the team can practice skills and focus on doing them correctly without concern that they will cause contamination or waste supplies,” she said.

What began as a small practice space for medical residents, surgical technologists, and nurses to work on aseptic technique has since evolved into a sought-after training hub. Periop 101 students now use the lab to refine new skills, and service line leaders reserve time for teams to become familiar with new products and procedures.

Build Your Own DIY Learning Lab

If you are looking to set up a Simulation Lab like Fetty has, here are four of her hard-won lessons for making it happen.

1. Get Creative with Set-up

If you can find a designated space, think like an educator when setting it up, such as adding a dry erase board. And seek out creative learning tools wherever you can. For example, Fetty searched beyond the OR to score great posters for her lab on sterilization indicators and suture sizes.

No spare office? No problem. You can store supplies and hold classes in an empty OR. Just be sure to label all items as expired and for training purposes only.

2. Recruit Staff to Collect Supplies

Ask team members to save expired items or supplies from cancelled cases. These materials can find new purpose as teaching tools, helping staff practice without using active inventory. And don’t overlook imperfect equipment. Even a broken mayo stand can be repurposed to support learning.

3. Set Learners Up for Success

Her students start in a class she designed ahead of their lab training to explain her education goals and even share embarrassing and risky mishaps common with opening instruments. She says, “this gets staff learners engaged in the education process and helps them understand how it will benefit them.”

4. Organize Supplies by Service Lines

With her DIY Simulation Lab growing in popularity, and growing in the number of donated supplies, Fetty quickly learned the value of organization. She spends several hours each week to situate new supplies, which she has set up by service line so any learner can easily find their way around the lab.

Fetty has one rule in her DIY simulation lab: everyone learns and participates together.

That could mean critiquing each other’s errors or celebrating their accomplishments.

“This lab and this welcoming approach fosters a culture of learning together. This is so critical for patient safety and overall team success—especially for new staff still refining their hands-on skills,” she added.

Learn more about Fetty’s DIY Simulation Lab in her recent interview in AORN Journal.