The University of New Brunswick (UNB) has opened two virtual reality simulation suites for pediatric nursing education, funded by nursing alumna Margie Mallory and her partner, Duncan MacDonald. The Margaret Mallory Pediatric Simulation Suites were officially opened at a ceremony on 19 October 2026 and are now available to UNB nursing students.
The suites focus on pediatric care, so students learn to deal with medical crises in newborns and babies using simulation technology and are better prepared for such emergencies in the workplace. UNB's dean describes them as part of the university's wider use of advanced simulation and extended reality education.
Sites
- Fredericton: Room 119, MacLaggan Hall
- Moncton: Room 216, 55 Lutz Street
Reach and teaching
The university says the suites let nursing instructors teach essential skills at a distance and at a proficiency level that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. Acting president Dr. Kathy Wilson expects the suites to extend UNB's capacity to teach nursing to more students than before, including mature and upgrading students who cannot become full-time residential students, learners in the northern territories and students in other nations. She credits the donor with recognising, on seeing the technology in action, how it could teach critically important skills.
