How to Create a Regional Clinical Simulation Collaborative to Enhance Professional Development

Collaboration often serves as the catalyst for innovation and growth in healthcare simulation. This HealthySimulation.com article by Casey Maurice, Director of Clinical Simulation at Touro University Nevada, and Co-Chair of the Las Vegas Simulation Group alongside Chair Bonnie Barti, Simulation Operations Specialist at the VA Southern Nevada Medical Center, as well as contributions with Brent Adams, Territory Manager at Laerdal Medical. The article chronicles the inception and evolution of the Las Vegas Simulation Group, a regional initiative aimed to unite simulation professionals, share best practices, and foster collaboration. From a humble beginning with just 15 members to a network of over 150 professionals, this group has become a beacon for simulation advancement. The story highlights the challenges, successes, and transformative power of community-driven efforts in simulation education.

The Spark That Started the Inception of the Las Vegas Simulation Group

Every successful venture begins with a vision. For the Touro University simulation center, that vision revolved around the breakdown of silos and the creation of opportunities for collaboration with external entities. As preparation for Advanced Certification for SimVet, an opportunity to go beyond traditional measures was identified. This would not only benefit the clinical simulation team but also create meaningful connections across the simulation community. Thus, the idea for the Las Vegas Simulation Group was born.

The initial motivation came from the recognition of gaps in collaboration among simulation professionals in the Las Vegas region. With limited established connections, the group began to reach out to a few colleagues and invite them to join this fledgling initiative. The need for a broader reach was recognized, or the team turned to Lance Baily, CEO and Founder of HealthySimulation.com as both a regional and international leader in the field. Lance not only supported the idea but provided valuable contacts and resources that helped expand the group’s reach.

The First Steps: Build the Momentum

The inaugural meeting brought together a small group of 15 professionals that included the staff from the Veterans Affairs (VA), Nellis Air Force Base, and local colleges. The idea was simple but powerful: to collaborate, share knowledge, and visit each other’s simulation centers. This approach provided unparalleled insights into how different centers operated and fostered a culture of learning and mutual support. Word spread quickly, and what started as a small gathering began to grow exponentially.

Growth and Evolution From 15 to 150+ Members

Thanks to word-of-mouth referrals, the support of key partners like our Laerdal representative, and the enthusiasm of our members, the group’s membership grew to over 150. Meetings rotated about every 3 months between various locations, including the VA, Touro University, UNLV, Nevada State University, and local hospitals. This provided hosts to showcase their simulation labs and teams, as the saying goes “if you have seen one sim center, you have only seen one sim center!” Each meeting followed a consistent format of presentations and vendor demonstrations to provide members with fresh ideas and exposure to cutting-edge technology.

Laerdal’s Contributions by Brent Adams

Brent Adams, Laerdal’s Territory Manager, significantly contributed to the Las Vegas Simulation Group. As he visited hospitals, fire departments, colleges, high schools, and military bases across Southern Nevada and Southwest Utah, he helped spread the word about the Las Vegas Simulation Group’s mission to provide an opportunity for additional support, networking, and opportunities to engage with and collaborate with their peers in a similar niche industry. There was an increased interest to join the Las Vegas Simulation Group to learn from one another, and our membership quickly began to grow.

Innovative Initiatives: Pioneering New Opportunities

One of the most notable achievements was the organization of a Virtual Reality (VR) demonstration day at the VA through Bonnie Barti. This event brought together 12 VR companies to give members hands-on experience with emerging technologies. The success of this initiative not only influenced the simulation center’s choice of VR tools but also inspired further collaborative events. Additionally, the group’s efforts culminated in a simulated mass casualty event in collaboration with UNLV and Roseman University to demonstrate the power of teamwork to create impactful simulation experiences.

View the HealthySimulation.com Webinar Building and Sustaining a Statewide Clinical Simulation Alliance to learn more!

The Ripple Effect: Collaboration Beyond Meetings

As the Las Vegas Simulation group grew, so did their impact. Members began to collaborate on projects outside of regular meetings, share resources, and support each other through challenges. The group’s reach extended beyond Las Vegas to welcome members from high schools, fire departments, police departments, and even a college in Utah.

Strengthen the Structure, Leadership, and Unity for the Future

As the Las Vegas Simulation Group grew in size and scope, the need for a more formal structure was essential to sustain and expand the impact. To address this need, a Co-Chair position was introduced to share leadership responsibilities. This addition not only distributed the workload but also brought a fresh perspective and enhanced the ability to engage with members and drive the group’s mission forward. With two leaders at the helm, the group is now better positioned to grow strategically and adapt to the evolving needs of the healthcare simulation community.

One of the significant achievements under the Co-Chair’s leadership has been to secure Continuing Medical Education (CME) hours for many participants. This initiative has added tremendous value to our meetings and events, and provides healthcare professionals with the opportunity to earn CME credits with participation in simulation-based education. This not only enhances their professional development but also underscores the importance of continuous learning, professional development, and improvement in healthcare.

To further professionalize the Las Vegas Simulation Group operations, the implementation of formal agendas and clearly defined goals for each meeting was established. Agendas ensure that meetings remain focused and productive, while goals provide a roadmap for progress and help measure our collective success. This structured approach allows the group to address pressing issues, prioritize key topics, and engage members in meaningful discussions that drive innovation and collaboration.

New Expansion Online with HealthySimulation.com’s Regional Discussion Groups

Just recently with the launch of their new community discussion groups, the HealthySimulation.com team offered the Las Vegas Simulation Group their own online discussion group. Joining other regional collaboratives already taking advantage of this open-access opportunity like the UK Regional Simulation Group, the Las Vegas community has just begun to invite members to participate in this online forums group to connect with peers, share ideas, ask questions and network. Learn more about the new community discussion groups from HealthySimulation.com to start your own group today!

Support for Accreditation and Standardization Across Centers

One of the group’s primary objectives is to help more healthcare simulation centers achieve accreditation. Accreditation is a vital step in the elevation of quality of simulation-based education to ensure that learners across institutions receive a consistent, high-standard experience. One center shared their accreditation journey to offer guidance and provide resources to empower other centers to navigate this complex process with greater confidence and success.

Beyond individual achievements, the Las Vegas Simulation Group’s long-term vision includes the alignment of simulation centers throughout the region to adopt unified standards. This approach fosters consistency in training methods, educational outcomes, and technological integration to ultimately enhance the quality of healthcare delivery. The establishment of shared benchmarks and collaboration on accreditation efforts, the aim is to create a cohesive network of high-performance simulation centers that collectively elevate the standard of care.

Build Unity to Strengthen Local Healthcare

The Las Vegas Simulation Group has prioritized a sense of unity among diverse healthcare and simulation centers. With a focus on shared goals and challenges, the group has cultivated a collaborative environment where institutions can work together to tackle pressing issues, reduce redundancy, and share resources. This sense of union strengthens the healthcare community to enable the group to collectively improve patient outcomes and address systemic challenges.

Regular meetings and collaborative projects have proven instrumental to bridge the gaps between centers. Through these initiatives, best practices are shared, and the following events have occurred: joint simulations, technology demonstrations, and large-scale events that bring value to the entire region. These efforts ensure that simulation professionals and educators are better equipped to prepare healthcare workers for real-world challenges.

View the new HealthySimulation.com Community Las Vegas Healthcare Simulation Group to discuss this topic with your Global Healthcare Simulation peers!

Looking Ahead: A Call to Action

As the Las Vegas Simulation Group continues to evolve, the mission remains clear: to foster collaboration, innovation, and excellence in healthcare simulation. Formalization of the group’s structure, support for accreditation, and unity of healthcare simulation centers under a shared vision, a stronger and more effective healthcare simulation community was built. The ripple effects of these efforts are already evident in the improved training, collaboration, and healthcare outcomes within the region.

One of the group’s passions is to help make this healthcare community feel more empowered to make the right decisions through common or rare simulation events in a safe space. Repetitive practice and exposure to the unknown (physical or mental) create holistic healthcare providers. The main goal is to give current and future healthcare providers at any level the opportunity to repetitively practice skills to become more confident and competent in a safe psychological space. In healthcare simulation, mistakes are okay to make, if participants learn from them and become better at what we do. Inevitably, our families, friends, and co-workers will need proper medical care. This all starts with high-quality education and training.

The Las Vegas Simulation Group invites others in the field to join them on this journey to share ideas, resources, and expertise to further elevate simulation-based education. With a collective commitment to innovation and collaboration, the future of healthcare simulation that ultimately enhances the quality of care for the communities served can be improved.

Learn More About Healthcare Simulation Collaboratives!