“I was able to attend a debriefing workshop with Mary Fey, [Associate Director of the Center for Medical Simulation’s (CMS) Faculty Development Programs] and was energized by what I saw!” Susan Gallagher MSN, ACNP-BC, ANP-BC, CNE was first introduced to simulation four years ago by two of her faculty mentors at Northeastern University, who were using simulation-based education with nursing students. Susan is a Clinical Instructor and the Director of the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University.
Susan had the opportunity to attend CMS’ Gateway to Debriefing with Good Judgement Workshop, a one- day course held at host sites around the world. The course sparked her curiosity and she was further intrigued by debriefing and its role in simulation. “For faculty teaching new clinicians, it’s a snapshot of the thought processes and application of knowledge and skills as well as clinical presence that students have.”
A year later, Susan continued her simulation journey by taking the Comprehensive Instructor Workshop at CMS in Boston. Learning alongside fellow simulation leaders was among her favorite aspects of the course and an invaluable experience. “Meeting and sharing with all the participants what they do or planned to do at their institutions was so informative and helped me to appreciate the versatility and potential of simulation.”
Today, Susan reflects on all that she has accomplished since taking the five-day course at CMS: “Since the workshop, I created a standardized pre-simulation video to prepare students for their sim experience and have shared that video within the nursing school and at a poster session for a nursing educator’s conference. I have developed three simulation scenarios for my graduate nurse practitioner students to add to their curriculum. I am working on a publication related to nursing professional awareness utilizing simulation.”
“The CMS workshop provided me with the tools that I needed to use for planning and conducting a simulation as well as debriefing with good judgment. The techniques could be incorporated into our department simulation protocols and were supported by evidence.”
