The Centre for Simulation & Innovative Technological Applications in ICU (CSITAI) has been founded since 2025 and operates under the auspices of the statutory research laboratory “ICU Follow-up Care Lab“ of the Nursing Department, University of West Attica.
CSITAI is designed to be a cutting-edge hub that enhances education, research, and technological advancements in the healthcare sector, with a primary focus on nursing education. Its mission is to foster innovation and extroversion in Higher Education and clinical practice.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology obtained mainly through the SUB2 “Universities of Excellence” initiative of the Recovery and Resilience Fund, CSITAI integrates advanced Extended Reality (XR) applications, revolutionizing education in health sciences and providing a safe simulation environment for practical training.
Key Activities:
- Educational Programs: Development of innovative educational programs for nurses and healthcare professionals focusing on emerging technologies. Also focusing on hands-on training in ICU scenarios and using advanced virtual reality simulators, aimed at improving patient safety and quality of care.
- Research and Development (R&D): Development of XR applications for clinical case simulations, with a strong emphasis on human-computer interaction (HCI) and e-health applications.
- Technological Innovations: Creation of assessment tools for care delivery, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and clinical practice.
Collaborative Vision:
CSITAI will collaborate closely with other research laboratories, adopting an interdisciplinary approach to drive innovation and develop pioneering solutions in health, education, engineering, and informatics. Through these partnerships, CSITAI aims to enhance UNIWAS’s international outreach by fostering global collaborations and participating in competitive research projects.
Additionally, CSITAI actively supports European initiatives such as Erasmus+ 2023 ALIAS (KA220-HED, Project Ref: 2023-1-EL01-KA220-HED-000161822), which promotes transnational cooperation and the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and simulation technologies to train nursing students and improve ICU care.
Vision for Excellence:
CSITAI aspires to become a unique center of excellence and innovation in Greece, advancing education, research, and the implementation of innovative practices in healthcare. It will serve as a model of collaboration between the academic community, research teams, and clinical professionals, setting new standards for healthcare training and innovation.