AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation Gregory Welch has made countless contributions to the fields of virtual, augmented and mixed reality as an inventor and researcher, but some of the ones he’s most proud of aren’t documented in patent applications or peer-reviewed publications.

For more than two decades, Welch has extended his passion into purposeful action within and beyond the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Visualization and Graphics Technical Community (VGTC) to empower future generations, foster collaboration and growth, and advance the fields of visualization, computer graphics, and virtual/augmented reality. Through his dedication and leadership, he has made a sustained impact on the global community.

His service includes volunteering at dozens of IEEE VGTC conferences since 2000 and serving as general chair for three international events, each drawing hundreds of attendees.

“… I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] … could experience VR technology.”

One of the most memorable was the 2013 Virtual Reality Conference in Orlando, which he co-chaired and where he created the Florida Academic VR Showcase (FLAVRS).

“Conferences typically bus attendees to the host institution for demonstrations, but nobody enjoys long bus rides late at night,” Welch says. “With FLAVRS, I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] could bring their families and experience VR technology.”

Welch, IEEE VR 2013 co-chair, joined University of Florida Professor Benjamin Lok and a group of student volunteers to transform the event ballroom into the makeup of Florida, complete with cities, lakes and well-known landmarks. Twenty-two demonstrations from researchers across the state were arranged by their institutions’ geographic locations.

Attendees received “passports” to collect stamps at each demonstration and earn prizes.

“I still have people tell me that it was the best VR conference event they have ever attended,” Welch says.

Mentoring the VR Researchers of Tomorrow

To further advance the field, Welch serves as an associate editor for two journals and has organized several professional development opportunities for students, researchers and developers, including international research retreats focused on specific topics.

He has also focused on inspiring future generations of virtual reality researchers. One of the contributions he’s most proud of is the creation of the XR Future Faculty Forum, or F3.

“It’s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations … and to build a community among future faculty.”

Launched in 2023 with Â鶹ԭ´´ computer science doctoral student Matthew Gottsacker, F3 connects faculty volunteers with graduate students through panels, talks and one-on-one mentoring to prepare future scholars for careers in academia. What began as an idea has grown into an annual event supporting hundreds of participants, with plans to continue expanding. F3 will take place again at the 2026 IEEE VR Conference in Daegu, Korea, where Welch will be honored for his service.

“It’s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations, to help reduce fears about research funding and tenure, and to build a community among future faculty,” Welch says. “It’s been so gratifying to see this idea impact real people and expand to other conferences.”

His impact on future generations extends to his work at Â鶹ԭ´´, where he has advised and mentored dozens of students from undergraduates to postdoctoral scholars.

Driving Discovery in Simulation and Technology

Welch has made sustained contributions to the field through innovative research in virtual/augmented reality, virtual beings, motion tracking display and healthcare technology.

He currently leads the development of the , supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. VERA, which is the first large-scale system for extended reality research, aims to create a powerful platform for human subjects research and behavioral data collection in VR. IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Lifetime Achievement awardee and Agere Chair Professor of Computer Science, Carolina Cruz-Neira, is also working on the project, which is a collaboration across multiple universities.

To date, Welch has authored more than 150 publications and his work has contributed to 25 patents. His 1995 Introduction to the Kalman Filter has been cited more than 12,500 times. His patented innovations span a wide range of applications, from projection mapping — like what’s used on Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom — to physical-virtual patient simulators, “smart” wound simulators, sterile field detection mechanisms, directional electrodes for deep brain stimulation, tactile telepresence for isolated patients and spatially explicit auditory cues for enhanced situational awareness.

A Legacy of Service

For his outstanding contributions and career achievements, Welch has earned numerous honors, including being named to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. He’s also a fellow of IEEE, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a Pegasus Professor — Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s highest faculty honor.

“[My] unique blend of analytical and creative thinking [inspires] my work to … create interactive experiences that … solve challenges and help people.”

Welch sees value in real-life events that bring people together. He attributes his dedication to service and success as an innovator to his family and upbringing.

“My mother was a mathematician and computer programmer, and my father was a musician, so I have this unique blend of analytical and creative thinking,” he says. “That has inspired my work to use computer science to create interactive experiences that feel like the real world to solve challenges and help people.”

Welch’s commitment to helping others began long before his noteworthy career, with involvement in service organizations dating back to high school. For him, service is a way of life — not an obligation, but an opportunity to make an impact.

“There is so much that we can and should do to help our communities,” he says. “It takes people to step up, commit and invest time to make things happen. I hope my service and leadership inspire others.”

Fellowship is a lifetime achievement award to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to simulation in scholarship, education and service. Konzelmann and Spears received the honor during the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) last week in Orlando.

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare is the largest healthcare simulation in the world, with more than 5,000 members in 60 countries, but less than 150 experts worldwide have received fellowship distinction. Konzelmann and Spears join two other fellows at Â鶹ԭ´´, nursing professors Mindi Anderson and Desiree DĂ­az.

Jason Konzelmann, College of Medicine

“I was truly honored to be able to be recognized by my peers in the simulation community and the people to whom I have looked up to and learned from,” Konzelmann says. “To be recognized as one of the leaders in simulation and a member of that fraternity is really quite humbling.”

As director, Konzelmann leads Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s College of Medicine that provides simulated experiences allowing medical students to get hands-on learning in patient interaction, suturing, ultrasounds and medical emergencies. The center works with trained standardized patients and computerized manikins, giving future physicians the opportunity to practice their clinical skills in a safe environment before working with real patients.

“Simulation in healthcare allows the student to have the opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom to the clinical space while in an environment where they are free to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes,” he says. “So, for us in simulation, whether we’re in an academic institution such as ours or we’re in a hospital-based setting, our main goal is improving patient safety and outcomes.”

Konzelmann also works with faculty to develop simulation-based learning opportunities and help educators ensure that the students get the most out of the experience.

Konzelmann has been working with the Society for Simulation in Healthcare since 2013. He currently serves as chair of the society’s Best Practices Workshop Committee, which advocates for implementation of the best practices in simulation-based education through six online courses annually that have about 100 participants for each course.

He recently started the Assessment Affinity Group, which has the mission of promoting the development, dissemination and implementation of innovative and evidence-based assessment strategies to enhance the effectiveness and impact of healthcare simulation education and training.

“Getting involved with the society has really helped me understand more about simulation,” he says. “Having the network of people to ask a question or get an idea from or see where other schools are going helps us be at the top in simulation.”

Syretta Spears, College of Nursing

Spears has helped lead the Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling (STIM) Center at Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s College of Nursing for nearly a decade. During that time, the STIM Center has earned two international endorsements for accreditations recognizing the high quality of simulation experiences, the expertise of faculty and staff, and the commitment to innovation.

At the , Spears facilitates more than 11,000 contact hours annually in simulation-based experiences for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Those experiences include interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative experiences, such as an “Escape Rescue Room” that she created and has been presented and published nationally.

“Through simulation, we are able to prepare students for clinical practice whether that is as registered nurses or nurse practitioners of varying specialties,” Spears says. “Simulation education provides invaluable hands-on learning opportunities for students to develop and practice clinical, communication, and critical thinking skills in a safe, real-world environment.”

Spears leads a team of experts to support faculty in successful simulation-based experiences at the college. That team collectively has 11 certifications of which Spears has two. She is a certified healthcare simulation educator and one of the first 25 experts in the world to become an advanced certified healthcare simulation operations specialist.

Her dedication to and impact on healthcare simulation extends beyond Â鶹ԭ´´. In the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, she serves as a certification reviewer in the simulation operations specialist advanced group and chair of the nominations committee for the Simulation Operations and Technology Section. She’s also a member of the Alliance for Workforce Identification in Simulation in Healthcare, which is advocating to establish U.S. Department of Labor Standard Occupational Classification codes for healthcare simulation professionals.

“For me, this honor is deeply personal as it is peer recognition on a global scale of my commitment to improving patient care and safety through innovation and educational excellence,” Spears says. “It is also more than a personal milestone, but a testament to the collective efforts and advancements in the healthcare simulation profession.”

This fall, Spears will help oversee a milestone at the STIM Center with its move to the Helene Fuld Health Trust STIM Center at the new state-of-the-art Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion on Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s Academic Health Sciences Campus.

Mary Ann Reiner, standardized patient (SP) program manager, and Jennifer Neal, SP educator, received the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator recognition, which affirms their expertise and proficiency in all aspects of medical simulation education.

The goal of simulation is simple, says Jason Konzelmann, director of the medical school’s : Simulate real world experiences so students can learn and practice their skills in a safe environment.

“Mary Ann and Jennifer’s dedication to advancing our simulation programs has now been formally acknowledged on an international level,” Konzelmann says, noting that SSH is the world’s largest organization dedicated to healthcare simulation.

“Medicine is changing so quickly,” says Reiner, who oversees 91 standardized patients ranging in age from 19 to 81. “It’s our responsibility to develop high-quality simulations that allow students to practice their clinical and procedural skills as well as communication and critical thinking.”

Neal says that she loves seeing students’ progress and gain confidence in their medical knowledge and ability to connect with patients.

“Working with simulated and standardized patients gives them the opportunity to see how real people react to them and to their questions,” she says. “They see what works and what doesn’t, all in a safe place.”

Konzelmann came to Â鶹ԭ´´ with his SSH certifications, so this recognition triples the number of certified educators at the simulation center. This year’s Healthcare Simulation Week, held from Sept. 16-20, carries the theme of Launchpad to Legacy: What’s Your Next? In addition to supporting SSH certifications for more staff, Konzelmann’s goal is to obtain accreditation for the entire staff.

“Accreditation for the center, like certification for our team, can only serve to elevate our program and further enhance the overall reputation of the Â鶹ԭ´´ College of Medicine,” he says.

As part of that effort, Clinical Skills and Simulation team members will present in nine different sessions and engage with simulation faculty and staff from around the world at the 25th annual International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare conference held in Orlando, Florida, Jan. 10-14, 2025.

As the battle against opioid overdose deaths continues, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the College of Medicine has partnered with a healthcare technology company, Lumis Corp, to create a simulation-based training solution to help address the national opioid crisis.

Lumis was awarded a $1.7 million R43 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health, with Â鶹ԭ´´ receiving a subaward. The project is co-led by Anya Andrews, associate professor of medicine and director of research initiatives at the College of Medicine and Douglas Nelson, chief technology officer at Lumis Corp.

“The ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for people at risk for opioid misuse and overdose through training for healthcare workers, first responders, and lay persons like family members,” Andrews says.

Prior to receiving this grant, Andrews and her team led an initiative to develop an immersive learning simulation system for opioid risk management training in an interprofessional environment (STORM-IPE). It is a computer-based simulation system designed to train medical students and healthcare professionals in pain assessment, opioid risk assessment, and treatment and monitoring of patients with chronic pain. Students interact with a virtual patient, learn about the patient’s symptoms and associated conditions while trying to assess and mitigate the patient’s opioid risk.

“My colleagues and I came up with the idea to develop an immersive learning simulation for interprofessional education because management of chronic conditions requires teamwork between members of different health professions,” Andrews says. “We created a prototype of the simulation focusing on opioid risk management training particularly in response to the ongoing opioid crisis with the intent to foster effective communication and shared decision making with patients and members of an interprofessional team (e.g., nurses, counselors, pharmacists, and others).”

The NIDA-funded project integrates STORM-IPE with the Lumis InSight Platform, including Augmented Reality Training for Overdose (ART-OD) prevention curriculum. The combined efforts will result in a new integrated learning solution for opioid risk education and naloxone administration that will be tailored to the training needs of healthcare professionals, first responders, and lay people (family members, caregivers, etc.) who are on the frontlines of the ongoing opioid crisis.

“We are very excited for this opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Andrews and her team at the College of Medicine towards integrating our two innovative technologies to provide accessible, engaging, and immersive learning experiences across various stakeholder populations in the harm reduction ecosystem,” says Nelson.

“The augmented reality aspect in our case is based on the projection of human anatomy onto a part-task manikins trainer like the ones we use for clinical skills training,” Andrews says. “For example, using Lumis’ projection-based augmented reality InSight Platform, we can illustrate the patient’s breathing as well as the changes in facial color, lips, or pupil dilation to simulate symptoms of an opioid overdose.”

Together, the two training modalities will simulate opioid overdose scenarios featuring patients in various stages of consciousness/physiologic deterioration that require life-saving skills developed during the training. It will help train healthcare professionals, first responders, and lay people to identify opioid overdose risk factors, recognize the signs and symptoms of an overdose, and learn how to respond to and treat an overdose.

“Our goal is to advance the integrated solution to deliver an effective and engaging learning experience,” says Andrews. “We want to build new scenarios that will be tailored for each of the target learner populations. We also plan to test the scenarios in a simulation center environment and learn from the trainees in terms of the usability of the training solution, the perceived usefulness, and the utility of this approach.”

Andrews says the team is also collaborating with healthcare professionals, first responder groups and harm reduction organizations and seeking their input in designing the training solution.

“We believe technology like this can be used in a variety of different contexts,” Andrews says. “We have already been thinking about other areas, such as suicide prevention, COVID-19 response readiness, and rare disease diagnostics – anything that deals with complex healthcare challenges requiring sound decision making and effective interprofessional teamwork. We look forward to working with representatives of the key stakeholder groups from all these communities to help guide the design of high-impact training scenarios.”

“With this new technology, we are able to provide a deeper experience, introducing students to a wide variety of patients at different severity levels through hologram technology, both live or pre-recorded, and have a very true-to-life interaction to teach our future healthcare providers humanistic care,” says Bari Hoffman, associate dean of clinical affairs for the College of Health Professions and Sciences, who spearheaded the project.

The use of hologram patient simulation in healthcare was initiated by the College of Health Professions and Sciences through its Innovation Center.

The Â鶹ԭ´´ College of Health Professions and Sciences trains graduate students in a variety of healthcare disciplines such as speech-language pathology, physical therapy, athletic trainingĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýł¦±ôľ±˛Ôľ±ł¦˛ą±ô social work. Starting this fall, the tech will be incorporated into these programs, giving students a new way to learn how to assess and treat patients.

Adding the hologram technology broadens the variety of patients that students can learn from and helps bridge the gap when in-person interactions are not possible or cost-prohibitive.

These learning experiences have typically been limited to pictures and videos of patients, or relied on volunteers to come to class. Adding the hologram technology broadens the variety of patients that students can learn from and helps bridge the gap when in-person interactions are not possible or cost-prohibitive. The recordings also offer a better way of standardizing patient interactions to assess student competencies.

Research on the use of simulation in healthcare education supports that the more “real” the simulation, the more engaged students become, and the better learning outcomes they have.

Because the hologram is more lifelike, it helps to solicit better engagement and connection to students who are practicing their skills. Research on the use of simulation in healthcare education supports that the more “real” the simulation, the more engaged students become, and the better learning outcomes they have.

The tech allows students to see and examine the whole patient and pick up on nonverbal cues that could be missed with tools that have a limited view, like a video conference call.  It also provides a means for students to be exposed to patients who are immune compromised without posing risk to the patient, while still getting a full view of the patient. Â鶹ԭ´´ will use the tech across different healthcare programs to foster more interprofessional learning and best prepare students to work as a healthcare team.

Â鶹ԭ´´ was able to acquire the PORTL device thanks to a gift from Brooks Rehabilitation. The use of technology to better train future healthcare providers is a mutual goal of Brooks and the college, so pioneering the use of holograms as simulated patients was a natural fit.

“Innovation and continuous learning are core Brooks Rehabilitation values,” says Doug Baer, president and CEO of Brooks Rehabilitation. “As patients expect the delivery of care to expand and occur in new ways, ensuring students have access to cutting-edge technology for simulated patient training and learning is essential to advancing the health and well-being of our communities. Brooks is proud to provide this gift to Â鶹ԭ´´.”

In addition to the teaching components of the tech, the College of Health Professions and Sciences also plans to utilize PORTL’s live “holoportation” capabilities in its clinical practices to expand care to rural areas, when in-person care is not feasible. The college also plans to host virtual case studies where experts from around the world present and show their patients using the 3D technology.

PORTL Inc. makes hologram communication and content for a variety of applications in business, entertainment, and education. Its ability to present people in life-size, volumetric 4K for interactive experiences, both live and pre-recorded, has been used by executives and celebrities to make appearances across the globe, to cross COVID-19 quarantine lines safely, and to create fan experiences.

“We are gratified that our vision of connecting the world through holoportation is now taking root in healthcare education with this historic deployment with the Â鶹ԭ´´,” said David Nussbaum, CEO of PORTL Inc. ”Our strategic partnership with Dr. Hologram now makes it easy for educators and healthcare leaders to further modernize their systems that can positively impact their organizations and the communities they support.”

Spears was in the first cohort of 25 professionals from four countries to earn the international credentials.

The certification recognizes those who are certified healthcare simulation operations specialists who have demonstrated leadership and advanced simulation capabilities at their institution and beyond. She earned that specialist designation in 2018.

I am dedicated to demonstrating the importance of simulation pedagogy daily.

One of her creations, for example, was the development of an “Escape Rescue Room,” where students are provided hidden clues to address a patient’s signs and symptoms. The innovative method enhances teaching and learning of health policies, hospital procedures and guidelines. The activity also was presented at the National League for Nursing Summit and published in at least two journals. In addition, Spears created an online orientation and helped develop a “Haunted Lab” and “Amazing Race” experience for teaching nurses.

“This recognition confirms that my endeavors to continuously excel in simulation and promote the science of simulation as a profession continue to pay off in the most rewarding ways,” Spears says. “Whether designing innovative training products, conducting orientation tours, or managing simulated clinical experiences, I am dedicated to demonstrating the importance of simulation pedagogy daily.”

Spears started her career in healthcare simulation more than 10 years ago. Today she leads a team that supports faculty with successful simulation-based experiences for undergraduate nursing students and graduate nurses during simulation and clinical skills-based education. She earned her bachelor’s in computer information systems from Florida A&M University, and her master’s degrees in human resources management and computer resources and information management from Webster University. In 2017, she became one of the first graduates of Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s healthcare simulation graduate certificate program.

In addition to her experience in academia, she also worked in the corporate sector in the field of healthcare simulation and education.

“Using simulation to engage future nurse professionals will ensure that our communities will have thoroughly trained nurses that will strive to reduce errors, improve performance, and safely provide quality patient care,” Spears says. “For these reasons and more, I will continue to promote learning through the advancement of simulation.”

The Society for Simulation in healthcare is the largest healthcare simulation organization in the world, with more than 4,900 members from more than 60 countries.

In other recent healthcare news, the healthcare simulation graduate certificate is the first Â鶹ԭ´´ online graduate certificate to have its three programs attain “high quality” designations from the university’s Center for Distributed Learning.

The courses in the program are: Introduction to Healthcare Simulation and Healthcare Simulation Capstone Project, taught by Professor Mindi Anderson, and Organizational Leadership and Operations in Healthcare Simulation, taught by Assistant Professor Desiree Diaz. Kathleen Bastedo is the CDL instructional designer for the faculty members.

Last week, 36 students taking Essentials of Nursing Practice Lab (NUR 3028L) met for a one-day bootcamp where they were split into small groups and could practice skills, such as taking blood pressure, administering medication, tracheal suctioning, indwelling urinary catheterization, and inserting nasogastric tubes. This week, the remaining 36 students taking the same course underwent the same training.

The experience is especially significant for these students because they are all second-degree earning individuals who are in their first semester studying nursing, meaning this is their first face-to-face lab with their peers and faculty. Some of these students are national scholars of the Helene Fuld Health Trust, which is helping second-degree BSN students change careers to pursue their passion in nursing.

“The virtual learning fully prepared students for this event,” says organizer Erica Hoyt ’19EdD, a senior lecturer and certified healthcare simulation educator (CHSE). “While some of these students have previous healthcare experience in their former careers, none of them have had a chance to demonstrate their skills in person yet. This was a valuable learning experience for all and allowed faculty to work directly with the students to ensure they are skilled and competent in these nursing procedures.”

During normal class operations students attend assigned lab sections every week for 2½ hours. Instead, they’ve been learning virtually for the past eight weeks with an instructor demonstrating skills via Zoom from the simulation lab.

For the intense eight-hour lab event, a team of nursing faculty members and staff helped out from adjunct faculty members to a department chair and Dean Mary Lou Sole. “The students were well-prepared,” Sole says. “They were adept with some skills practiced at home, excited to be on campus and ready for action.”

“Some nursing competencies and psychomotor skills are nearly impossible to learn virtually; we had a great opportunity and accomplished a lot in these intensives,” says Sotos Djiovanis ’15, an adjunct instructor who helped with the bootcamp and is in on track to earn his master’s in nursing degree from Â鶹ԭ´´ in December.

“From a safety perspective, I felt as though the faculty did a great job ensuring each station was set up appropriately to reduce the risks of any harm.” – Michael Chandra ’18, nursing student

Prior to the bootcamp, students self-isolated in Florida for two weeks, received education on COVID-19 and PPE. They also received a reminder the night before to self-screen for symptoms and to only attend if they felt healthy and were symptom free. Armored with face masks, face shields, gloves and plenty of hand sanitizer nearby, students worked individually and, when necessary, in pairs with appropriate physical distancing. After students completed each session, they disinfected their areas and supplies to help maintain cleanliness for those that followed them.

“From a safety perspective, I felt as though the faculty did a great job ensuring each station was set up appropriately to reduce the risks of any harm,” says Michael Chandra ’18, a health sciences graduate. “In addition, they were kind enough to provide us with face shields as an extra safety measure.”

The online portion of the course helped prepare students via readings, videos, practice questions, and even a “Before Bootcamp” module. The module included recorded videos from instructors correctly demonstrating a few of the skills, print outs to minimize books students needed to bring and even a video tour showing the route from the elevator to the bedside.

After receiving supplies at a drive-by event at the start of the semester, students have been practicing skills — such as donning sterile gloves and injecting citrus (which provides a similar feeling to human flesh) — at home, and via webcam and video recordings to receive instructor feedback.

“It’s one thing to learn the material conceptually, but getting hands-on experience is what I needed to feel confident going into clinical practice next semester,” says Megan Wise ’19, who is also a health sciences graduate. “It was an exceptional way to reinforce what we have been learning online this semester.”

“Originally, I was extremely nervous for a mainly online course because I feel like I learn better in the classroom, but I actually really like the virtual setting because you can record [Zoom lectures and discussions] and go back and look at it as much as you need,” says Alyssa DeJesus ’19, who has a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in health sciences. “This has become the best type of studying I have done in my college career and moving forward I think they should incorporate more of this method.”

The hands-on lab was held in the college’s STIM Center, which recently received international accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the world’s largest accrediting body in the field. The society has provided guidelines for disinfecting labs and manikins during the pandemic, which the college has put into effect, Hoyt says.

Some practices were also modified to make students more comfortable, such as using a simulator arm with a speaker to take blood pressure as an alternative to having students practice on one another. Among the challenges of adapting teaching methods during the pandemic, Hoyt found a personal one during the bootcamp.

“It was very hard not to hug everybody because you feel like you’ve had a pen pal for a semester that you’re finally meeting, but you can’t. It was exciting to finally see everyone in person,” she says.

Like the students in this cohort, Djiovanis pursued nursing as a second field of study. As a professional oboe player, he earned three degrees in music performance at other institutions before completing his bachelor’s degree in nursing at Â鶹ԭ´´. He knows first-hand the value of connecting with others in the field.

“I am happy that we have found a way to return to a modified lab setting and that this cohort can start building those relationships in person while keeping safety a high priority.” – Sotos Djiovanis ’15, adjunct instructor

“Some of your best learning and working relationships as a nurse are built within your first semester in school, between you and your nursing classmates,” he says. “It has been challenging adapting to online delivery, but I am happy that we have found a way to return to a modified lab setting and that this cohort can start building those relationships in person while keeping safety a high priority.”

In the fall, modified lab operations will continue. This is especially important for senior nursing students who have not been able to practice care skills directly since spring break. For now, all nursing students continue to gain the knowledge they need in the to become the healthcare heroes needed today more than ever.

“The pandemic has motivated me much more to graduate and become a successful nurse. I am ready to make a difference in the lives of others and leave an impact within the community,” Chandra says.

The STIM Center, based in the College of Nursing was granted full accreditation in the area of teaching and education from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs. To receive accreditation, Â鶹ԭ´´ demonstrated excellence in meeting the core standards in healthcare simulation education activity design, qualified educators, and continuous evaluation and improvement.

“This accreditation validates the efforts of our team in providing a high-quality education and ensures our nursing students become competent, compassionate providers,” says Mary Lou Sole, dean of the College of Nursing. “I am proud of their achievement, and know they will continue to be a pioneer in this exciting and emerging field.”

As a leader in healthcare simulation education, Â鶹ԭ´´ attracts visitors from across the nation to learn from its operations, is home to Florida’s first — and one of only a few nationwide — healthcare simulation graduate programs, and is co-host of a national healthcare simulation conference in partnership with the National League for Nursing.

Currently, 10 percent of Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s nursing faculty are certified healthcare simulation educators. The team of experts also includes three of the world’s first certified advanced healthcare simulation educators, who also serve as board members of national and international healthcare simulation organizations, and one of the premier certified healthcare simulation operations specialists.

Located in Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to the main campus in Orlando, the STIM Center spans 1,500 square feet of low-fidelity and high-fidelity healthcare manikins, augmented-reality technology, and real-life hospital equipment and facilities. Each year, it provides more than 7,500 total contact hours of invaluable real-world training to undergraduate and graduate nursing students following best practices from the start to the de-briefing.

“The healthcare certificate program definitely prepared me for this new role,” says Valorie MacKenna, who graduates Aug. 1 with a Ph.D. in nursing and a healthcare simulation graduate certificate. She has already accepted a position as the director of simulation-based education at the University of Connecticut’s School of Nursing. “I have a feeling I’ll be opening up all my old assignments to help me.”

The STIM Center is also a hub of research activity, where nursing faculty and experts across disciplines are driving the future of healthcare simulation with published research in peer-reviewed journals and innovations such as the patented physical-virtual patient simulator.

The annual award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the day-to-day implementation of simulation and to excellence in the delivery of simulation-based learning. Spears received the award Thursday at the association’s 2019 conference in Phoenix. The association is a global community of more than 1,800 industry leaders, educators and researchers dedicated to transforming practice to improve patient safety through excellence in healthcare simulation.

“The advancement and desire to expound on the science of simulation drives her,” says Assistant Professor Desiree A. Díaz. “Syretta has provided a level of stability and spirit of excellence in the daily operations of our STIM Center and fosters an environment of innovation.”

“Syretta is the one individual we have come to trust to ensure our simulation-based learning experiences meet the highest standards,” says Laura Gonzalez, simulation director at the college. “She supports the facilitators and ensures the activities provide an enriching experience for all learners.”

One such activity is the development of an “Escape Rescue Room,” where teams of students are given hidden clues to address a patient mannequin’s signs and symptoms. The innovative, yet informative, method is used to enhance teaching and learning of health policies, hospital procedures and guidelines.  This successful activity was recently selected for presentation at the National League for Nursing Summit.

Additionally, Spears recently led the efforts to create Simsations 4 Life at the college. In the interdisciplinary club, simulation activities are brought to life with undergraduate and graduate students as well as volunteers from LIFE@Â鶹ԭ´´ (Learning Institute for Elders) who participate as embedded patients. Spears also created the online orientation and helped develop a “Haunted Lab” and “Amazing Race” experience, demonstrating her creativity and innovation in the field.

“The creation of the club has elevated our simulation fidelity, or realism, tenfold,” says Gonzalez.

Spears has been the STIM Center manager since 2016 and was among the first graduates of the college’s innovative and interdisciplinary healthcare simulation graduate certificate program. Last year she became one of the first to earn the Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist designation. The certification is an international recognition of her specialized knowledge, skills, abilities and accomplishments in the field. Now she is preparing to conduct her first webinar to mentor other simulationists.

At Â鶹ԭ´´, she is part an elite team of healthcare simulation experts, including three advanced certified healthcare simulation educators, two certified healthcare simulation educators, and an internationally recognized computer scientist and engineer.

This is the third consecutive year that an excellence award from the association honored a faculty or staff member from the Â鶹ԭ´´ College of Nursing. Associate Professor Mindi Anderson and DĂ­az were honored with the Excellence in Academia award in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Anderson was selected for her significant contributions over the past decade to advance nursing education through simulation best practices. She is one of 195 distinguished nurse leaders in the 2018 class of fellows. Academy fellows include leaders in hospitals, government, academia and the scientific community and represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 29 countries. The inductees were honored Nov. 3 during a ceremony at the academy’s annual policy conference in Washington.

“In my more than 15 years of experience in simulation, Dr. Anderson is among the most effective and innovative educators that I have had the pleasure of seeing in action,” said Judy LeFlore, associate dean for simulation and technology at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation. “She has developed the learning efficiencies of simulation across student and provider levels, and recently begun documenting its role in improving patient safety and care outcomes.”

An educator for 18 years, Anderson was an early pioneer in the adoption of simulation in healthcare academic settings. Her research in the field has been widely published and presented both nationally and internationally. She is one of 35 advanced certified healthcare-simulation educators in the world – three are on faculty at the college.

Anderson joined Â鶹ԭ´´ in 2015 and serves as director of the Nursing and Healthcare Simulation Program. She is also a fellow of the National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education, and a longstanding member of both the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning, which recently honored her with an Excellence in Academia Award.

Earlier this year, Anderson was one of 56 nurse educators selected to participate in the highly competitive LEAD program from the National League for Nursing to mentor and develop effective nurse leaders. In fall 2017, she was awarded a Fulbright Specialist scholarship to assist in the development and integration of simulation at a nursing school in Thailand.

Her other service in the field includes serving as a reviewer for the National League for Nursing’s Nursing Education Perspectives journal and Clinical Simulation in Nursing. Additionally, she is associate editor for the international journal Simulation & Gaming and serves on the editorial board of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare’s Simulation in Healthcare journal.