USF Health Educators Achieve Designation In Advanced Certified Health Care Simulation

The international Society for Simulation in Healthcare recognizes the finest health care simulation professionals with the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator-Advanced (CHSE-A) designation. Fewer than three dozen people in the world have earned CHSE-A credentials – and three are educators at USF Health, according to the society.

The USF Health faculty members who hold this certification are Teresa Gore, PhD, DNP, assistant dean of Experiential Learning and Simulation, USF College of Nursing; Nikki McLean, MSN, RN, director of Simulation Education, USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS); and Dawn Schocken, MPH, executive director of Experiential Learning and Simulation, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“To date, there are only 31 of us with CHSE-A credentials,” Dr. Gore said. “Supporting faculty in earning the CHSE-A designation emphasizes USF Health’s commitment to health care simulation, which is a critical component in preparing students for real-world practice.”

The CHSE-A designation is a portfolio-based certification for leaders in health care simulation. This recognition distinguishes those health care professionals who have proven themselves to be advanced in the practice of health care simulation, enabling them to serve as mentors to others in the field. Before applying for the CHSE-A, educators must first pass an examination to earn the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) designation.

USF Health leads the way in health care simulation, providing students with state-of-the-art education in simulation labs. They learn through innovative, hands-on methods and the latest technologies, including realistic simulation experiences withstandardized patients, manikins and specialized task trainers, and augmented and virtual reality. In addition, interprofessional education in simulated clinical settings allows students from different health disciplines to train together as teams, putting the patient at the center of care.

By Lucia Raatma, College of Nursing Communications