Healthcare Simulation: A Guide For Operations Specialists

Facilitating in the healthcare technology evolution, this book provides nurses, medical professionals, and health educators with a needed resource for the roles and responsibilities of simulation operations specialists. As the use of simulation within healthcare has exploded, it requires a larger group of multitalented professionals to take on a variety of roles in order to educate the growing number of interdisciplinary learners. There are roles in larger simulation centers that did not exist five to ten years ago. Management of healthcare simulation centers is often provided by physicians and others with advanced degrees; however, there is a growing cadre of multidisciplinary professionals hired into academic, hospital, and freestanding healthcare simulation settings to assist with and facilitate functions that may include simulator and simulation operations, technology infrastructure, and simulation center design. This group of individuals may have limited healthcare and/or education background and virtually no access to published written resources specific to their work, regardless of the type of simulation area in which they are employed. Individual simulation centers are currently assembling materials for training of operations personnel, and this is the first compiled resource for those who specialize in simulation operations. This book provides readily accessible answers to common questions, and in addition, the book discusses the development of the pivotal role of the simulation operations specialist by reason of the innovative work that this group of professionals is conducting. The chapter coverage promotes the value of simulation and the associated outcomes while clarifying the operational needs of simulation.

Laura T. Gantt, PhD, RN, CEN, NE-BC, is Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Nursing Support Services in the College of Nursing at East Carolina University. Dr. Gantt teaches courses and conducts research on simulation in healthcare education and continues to practice as an emergency department nurse.

H. Michael Young, BBS, M.Div., CHSE, is Director of Healthcare Education for Level 3 Healthcare, providing simulation consulting services for his employer as well as operations specialists and educators. A member of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare since 2011, his simulation operations interests include optimization of healthcare simulation training environments, instructional technology support and design, scenario design, standardization and automation, and technical skills assessment and remediation.