By Pareasa Rahimi
The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Blazer Simulation has received accreditation through 2029 from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in the areas of teaching and education. SSH accreditation is the gold standard in health care simulation, signifying a commitment to excellence.
The School’s Blazer Simulation was evaluated on its regular, recurrent demonstration of educational activities, educational activity design, qualified educators, and evaluation and improvement. The program is particularly noted for its strengths in facility capacity and use of space, the support of the School’s leadership, and the engagement and motivation of the Technology and Innovation team.
"Simulation is an integral part in our curriculum, providing students with experiences they can revisit, evaluate and reflect upon," said Professor and Associate Dean for Technology and Innovation Penni Watts, PhD, RN, CHSE-A, FNAP, ANEF, FSSH, FAAN (PhD 2015). "The dedication of our simulation team in preparing, designing and assisting with debriefing of each simulation to ensure a valuable learning experience for our students is a significant factor in our recent accreditation.”
As part of the School’s strategic plan for 2024-2028, a key objective is to expand the use of simulation in all programs. This initiative is intended to develop the competencies required by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials and supports the School's overall teaching mission.
“This accreditation adds validation of the work we are doing at the School and affirms the expertise that we have in our state-of-the-art simulation facility,” said Dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair Maria R. Shirey, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, FACHE, FNAP, FAAN. “I want to credit Dr. Watts and the Office of Technology and Innovation for their commitment to delivering exceptional simulation experiences for our students, shaping the future workforce. This achievement also would not be possible without the support of our donors, who generously named the individual learning spaces and provided state-of-the art technologies and equipment.”
Take a look inside the Blazer Simulation nursing competencies suites.
