By Pareasa Rahimi
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Technology and Innovation Penni Watts, PhD, RN, CHSE-A, FNAP, ANEF, FSSH, FAAN (PhD 2015), is President-Elect of the International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation and Learning.
“I am excited for this opportunity to join a group of strong and passionate leaders who are dedicated to INACSL’s membership and transforming simulation practice,” Watts said. “In this role, I’ll work to support expansion of our international impact while cultivating our membership through excellence in nursing education, practice and research. Simulation is at the forefront of nursing education and those in practice, and quickly becoming the standard for training all levels of nurses.”
Watts has been a longstanding member of INACSL, holding previous leadership positions within the organization. She is currently assistant editor of INACSL’s official journal, Clinical Simulation in Nursing and has chaired the INACSL Standards Committee, developing standards of best practice for implementing simulation experiences. In 2022, Watts received the INACSL Recognition of Work Above and Beyond the Call of Duty award in 2022 for her efforts as chair during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watts led the integration of clinical and interprofessional simulation experiences across multiple programs on UAB’s campus. She also serves as a Society for Simulation in Healthcare accreditation program site reviewer and is a former member of the SSH Certification Council. She previously chaired the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator-Advanced, a subcommittee that supports development as advanced simulationists. Watts also was on the planning committee for the 2024 Women in Leadership Symposium, sponsored jointly by multiple simulation organizations and served as guest editor for a special edition of Nursing Clinics on simulation. In the past year, she was named Fellow of the National League for Nursing and Fellow of National Academies of Practice.
