Virtual Conferences are a Click Away
By: VHA SimLEARN Staff, VHA SimLEARN, Orlando, Florida
The 2021 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) was held virtually this year with opportunities to access the educational presentations, once registered, until December 31, 2021. The conference theme of IMSH Delivers: Bringing Learning to Life offered live virtual presentations, pre-recorded sessions, research-based activities, simulation demonstrations, and other offerings. Several staff members from SimLEARN participated in the conference, and Michelle Regragui, MSHS, BSN, RN, Simulation Nurse Educator shared, “the IMSH 2021 conference provided the adaptability to expand simulation learning and growth through the use of virtual platforms allowing for the positive learning experience.”
One important aspect of attending conferences is the opportunity to benchmark your own facility’s program with what other subject matter experts are doing across the country. As VA is continuing the journey as a highly reliable organization, deference to expertise is very important. Ted Napolitano, SimLEARN Project Manager told us “it was very easy through the virtual IMSH format to learn about what other leaders in medical simulation are doing and I discovered that our Simulation Outreach Network’s Clinical Escape Room courses compare extremely well with outcomes from the famous University of Miami Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education.” Mr. Napolitano is the Project Manager for the VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Clinical Simulation (https://www.va.gov/OAA/Advanced_Fellowships/Explore_our_Fellowships.asp) and reported the Fellows “enhanced their learning by attending and reporting on IMSH Sessions in their monthly calls, and their attendance was made part of their curriculum this year.”
Multiple SimLEARN staff presented live and pre-recorded sessions at the conference and included nurses, physicians, associate directors, project managers, curriculum developers, and researchers. As IMSH occurs yearly, the conference will be held in Orlando, Florida in 2023 providing an opportunity for local VHA staff to attend.
