Infrastructure and Leadership Support

Two important issues to address when adopting virtual simulation in education are funding and team support. Administrators generally endorse ongoing professional development and the use of technology in the teaching-learning processes. The administrator’s role is to ensure that technological systems are effectively transformed and that financial, ethical, and legal implications are considered. Technologies should reduce the administrative burden on educators, allowing them to manage their workload more efficiently, providing more time to meet learners’ educational needs.

Expert’s Corner: Investment in Virtual Simulation

A three- to five-year plan, where the educator and administrator commit to a new technology, method, or approach, is a practical strategy to make time and cost investments for virtual simulation adoption viable.

Administrators can act to:

• Ensure there is an adequate number of dedicated simulation educators with training and expertise in the pedagogy of simulation.
• Support the development of simulation leaders among educators and budget for professional development.
• Develop simulation teams. Include operational support staff as a part of the simulation team (i.e. technologists, web developers, media developers, learning management system integration teams).
• Align outcomes across programs and curriculum and explore inter-professional opportunities.
• Create partnerships with other institutions and clinical agencies to capitalize on shared simulation resources.

The cost of virtual simulations ranges considerably; some are open source, available at no cost, while others have upfront and annual costs. Some institutions outsource the cost directly to students, while others build it into their operational budgets. It is important to note, funding for educator development is necessary to support  virtual simulation teaching and learning experiences throughout the curriculum. Failing to adequately support educators as they embrace new technology often leaves both educators and learners frustrated. In addition, failure to adequately support the integration of new technology and associated pedagogy is a frequent theme noted with the integration of traditional simulation modalities.

When initiating the adoption of virtual simulation, assigning a champion to the project or forming a committee devoted to the project is recommended. With new virtual simulation products emerging rapidly, educators may benefit from demonstrations and trials from vendors. After deciding on a product, and determining cost, identifying a source of funding is necessary. Funding for the purchase of the product as well as professional development may be available through an existing simulation budget or program development grant. Internal innovation and learning grants may also be a funding source. External grant funding is available through international professional organizations such as the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation, and Learning, Sigma Theta Tau International, and various local professional organizations in simulation, education, and nursing. A project development plan must be devised including time for staff/educator training, scenario development, and learner orientation.