Nursing Simulation Laboratory Earns Society for Simulation in Healthcare Accreditation

Nursing Simulation Laboratory Earns Society for Simulation in Healthcare Accreditation;
Becomes First in California to Receive Accreditation

Riverside City College School of Nursing’s simulation laboratory received accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) Accreditation Committee. The College’s simulation laboratory becomes the first community college facility in California to earn this accreditation. Nationally, eight community colleges have attained accreditation. Gaining accreditation from the SSH is a rigorous process, according to RCC’s Professor of Nursing Amy Vermillion.

Earning SSH accreditation for the simulation laboratory strengthens patient safety efforts and provides School of Nursing with national and international recognition for its expertise in simulation. The SSH accreditation is for five years.

“Obtaining SSH accreditation was a long-held dream of the RCC School of Nursing, as it designates the excellence and quality of the simulation program, we have developed over the last 10 years,” Dean of Nursing, Sandy Baker said.  

Leading up to the accreditation site review, the School of Nursing formed a task force to review simulation literature and best practices. From the task force’s research a simulation program was developed, using national and international best practices, sound pedagogical principles, and accreditation standards. Nursing faculty and staff spent months preparing the self-study report and preparing for the site review which, due to COVID-19, was conducted virtually last month. 

Nursing faculty, led by Amy Vermillion and Angie Fawson, engaged in extensive professional development, eventually allowing them to earn national certification as certified healthcare simulation educators through the SSH. In addition, Isaac Dannelley, simulation lab specialist, became certified as a certified healthcare simulation operation specialist.

The School of Nursing will be recognized for earning SSH accreditation at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare in New Orleans in January 2021.

RCC School of Nursing was established in 1952, with more than 400 nursing students is the second largest Associate Degree Nursing program in California. The School of Nursing offers Nursing Assistant, Vocational Nursing, and Associate Degree in Nursing/Registered Nursing (AND/RN) programs.

SSH was established in 2004 by professionals using simulation for education, testing, and research in healthcare, SSH membership is comprised of all healthcare disciplines, researchers, educators and developers from around the globe. SSH fosters the improvement and application of simulation-based modalities such as human patient simulators, virtual reality, standardized patients and task trainers.