Nurses serving West Hartford’s nine non-public schools received specialized emergency response training at Hartford Hospital in August, practicing how to assess and respond to medical emergencies through realistic clinical simulations.

By Mia Jaworski

The Aug. 21 training took place at the hospital’s Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation, known as CESI, and was organized for the West Hartford Non-Public Schools Health Services Program ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation training with West Hartford Non-Public Schools on Aug. 21. 2026. Courtesy photo

Lori Flaherty, nurse leader for the program, initiated the partnership by contacting Stephen Donahue, CESI’s system director of operations, to request training tailored to the needs of school nurses. CESI had not previously received a similar request from a school nursing team, but its educators developed a program based on situations nurses may encounter in school health offices.

Training with the local hospital was organized for the town’s Non-Public School Health Services program, which serves approximately 3000 children and provides emergency nursing care, preventive health services and other student health support at the participating schools.

The training focused on assessing emergencies, providing immediate care, activating emergency medical services and communicating essential patient information when transferring care to paramedics.

Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation training with West Hartford Non-Public Schools on Aug. 21. 2026. Courtesy photo

Nurses rotated through simulated emergencies, mimicking crises the school nurses may encounter.

The training involving respiratory distress simulations that progressed to cardiac arrest, a seizure accompanied by neurological changes, and an accidental overdose. In a separate skills lab, they practiced orthopedic splinting, abdominal assessments and evaluating injuries caused by physical impact.

Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation training with West Hartford Non-Public Schools on Aug. 21. 2026. Courtesy photo

Hartford Hospital provided the training at no cost to the Non-Public School Health Services program. The hospital also arranged shuttle transportation for the nursing team to and from CESI and provided breakfast hosted by Donahue and Dr. Charles Johndro, system chief of the Hartford HealthCare EMS Network, before the day’s activities began.

The training builds on the non-public school nurses’ existing collaboration with the West Hartford Fire Department. In previous years, nurses have worked with department paramedics to conduct emergency drills at participating schools, involving each school’s emergency and crisis response teams.

Andrew Eccles, a community support officer with the fire department, also attended the CESI session to emphasize communication between school nurses and emergency medical personnel.

Clear assessments, accurate documentation and concise handoffs can help ensure that critical information is shared when paramedics take over a patient’s care.

The partnership among CESI, Hartford Hospital, the West Hartford Fire Department and the West Hartford Non-Public Schools Health Services Program aims to strengthen emergency preparedness in participating schools by combining hands-on clinical practice with coordination among school health staff and first responders. CESI offers several courses which are available on their website.

Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation training with West Hartford Non-Public Schools on Aug. 21. 2026. Courtesy photo

The program’s goal is to help nurses respond with greater confidence and readiness when medical emergencies occur, supporting the health and safety of students in their care.

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