In a milestone for the University of California, Irvine’s Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, the school’s Simulation Center, which is used to train future nurses in emergency response and other healthcare scenarios, has been granted provisional accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).
The accreditation marks a significant achievement for the Simulation Center, making it one of only 20 accredited programs in California and the sole Simulation Center within the University of California system to achieve this honor.
“This milestone underscores our commitment to providing our nursing students with high-quality, immersive, and innovative education,” said Director of Simulation Jocelyn Ludlow. “Provisional accreditation recognizes our adherence to rigorous standards in simulation education. This sets us on the path to achieving full accreditation in the future.”
Achieving this accreditation required the Simulation Center to meet rigorous standards in simulation education, including best practices in teaching methodologies, continuous quality improvement, and dedicated efforts to advance patient safety and healthcare outcomes. SSH accreditation ensures that all simulation activities at the School of Nursing adhere to the highest standards, which is particularly crucial as over 75% of state boards of registered nursing in the U.S. have regulations regarding simulation in nursing education. With the California State Board of Nursing drafting simulation-specific regulations this year, the center’s accreditation status will serve as a key benchmark for regulatory compliance.
SSH Accreditation is considered the gold standard in healthcare simulation. It signifies a commitment to excellence and provides several advantages, such as improved quality of care, increased visibility, and enhanced credibility. SSH-accredited programs are shown to provide high-quality simulation experiences that lead to better patient outcomes and attract more learners, faculty, and funding opportunities.
The accreditation process involved a comprehensive application and review process that took over eight months to ensure compliance with SSH’s stringent core and teaching standards. These include mission and governance, program management, resource management, human resources, program improvement, ethics, educational activities, qualified educators, and evaluation and improvement.
Survey data collected throughout students’ degree programs indicated high satisfaction rates with the simulation activities. For the 2023-2024 academic year, students rated their simulation experiences positively, with overall satisfaction scores of 4.93 out of 5.0 and 100% of students expressing that the activities met their learning objectives and expectations.
In a recent staff memo, Ludlow expressed heartfelt gratitude to the simulation team, including Keith Beaulieu, Tommie Olds, and Casey Peevy. “I am so proud and honored to have the privilege to work at an institution that has prioritized this goal and given us the support to make it happen,” Ludlow said. “We are truly breaking new ground for simulation here at UCI, within the UC system, and the State of California.”
Leave A Comment