SimUAB’s Healthcare Simulation Essentials Course benefits Clinical Simulation

For Cassie West, MSN, RN, the Healthcare Simulation Essentials (HSE): Design and Debriefing course hosted at UAB by SimUAB was more than just a professional development opportunity—it was a turning point.

“I thought we were just going to focus on how to create a simulation,” said West, a nursing professional development specialist (NPDS) in perioperative services. “But then we got into the conversations about debriefing—the good and the hard parts. By the end, I felt so much better about it. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.”

Held May 6–9 in the Clinical Simulation lab in UAB Hospital’s Quarterback Tower, the four-day HSE course was hosted by UAB Clinical Simulation and the Office of Interprofessional Simulation (OIPS) under the SimUAB banner.

Developed in collaboration with the Center for Medical Simulation (CMS), a Harvard-affiliated leader in simulation education, the course equips participants with the skills to design, facilitate and debrief simulation sessions effectively. This marked the 11th time UAB has partnered with CMS to bring the course to Birmingham.

As part of its mission, CMS offers simulation centers and interested organizations the opportunity to host its simulation instructor training courses from the comfort and convenience of their own sim center or even online. 

CMS notes that participating centers are typically: 

• Viewed as cutting-edge organizations committed to faculty development and patient safety; 
• Have the ability to train more faculty over a shorter period of time, at less cost and more efficiently by saving on travel time and expenses; and 
• Can provide consistency in their educational efforts by training faculty in the same methods and procedures 

During the four-day, hands-on event, CMS faculty members Mary Fey, Brad Morrison and Kate Morse led a class of 19 participants from across the UAB enterprise. For West, who works closely with new graduate nurses in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), the course had an immediate impact.

“One simulation we did really stuck with me,” she said. “I was supposed to be the leader, and I have a background in the ER, but I realized I wasn’t voicing things the way I should have. I wasn’t explaining what I was doing, and it made me reflect on how I lead. It reminded me that good leaders don’t just give direction—they explain the ‘why’ behind it.”

The focus on debriefing was equally powerful, West added.

“I’ve learned there’s a way to be honest and still be constructive,” she said. “That applies not just to sim, but to how I give feedback overall.”

That kind of growth doesn’t happen in isolation, West noted, adding that the supportive, collaborative atmosphere cultivated by the HSE faculty and simulation team played a key role in helping participants feel safe enough to reflect, take risks and learn.

“They’re so helpful and so caring,” she said. “They truly want everyone to thrive.”

UAB Medicine’s Clinical Simulation program offers opportunities for individuals and teams across UAB Medicine and beyond to practice before they deliver care. We encourage all who provide and support patient care to “Sim First.” Together, we can put our patients’ safety first. If you are interested in learning more about simulation facilitator development which takes place under the SimUAB brand, please see www.uab.edu/simuab.