Going Global: Sim Center to Present at International Conference
The Healthcare Simulation Center is receiving international recognition for its work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jason Konzelmann, director of the Simulation Center, and Melissa Carabba, assistant director, have been tapped to present at the Society for Simulation in Healthcare’s flagship conference—The International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare. In order to be selected, presentation proposals go through a rigorous peer-review process, which often accepts less than 50 percent of submissions.
Konzelmann and Carabba are partnering with faculty and staff from the Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of North Alabama to prerecord an hour-long presentation about their experiences with the pivot to online learning.
“It was something that a lot of simulation centers struggled with. There were some that reported doing absolutely nothing during the COVID-19 shutdown. There were others, us included, that were busier than normal.”
Konzelmann and Carabba created four new programs while working remotely: an interscholastic experience with Samford University, as well as new programs for DeSales’ physician assistant and nursing programs.
“Even programs that we already did as in-person, on-campus events, we turned into virtual events so that something continued to flow for the students,” says Carabba. “We did so well in such a bad situation and we made the best of it.”
This will be Carabba and Konzelmann’s first workshop presentation at the conference, which will be held virtually in January and is typically attended by more than 3,000 people from across the globe. Previously, and again for 2021, the Simulation Center will be presenting its abscess trainer at the conference’s SimVenters Showcase.