F a c i l i t y P l a n n i n g & A u d i o v i s u a l T e c h n o l o g yA white paper by level 3 healthcare

F a c i l i t y P l a n n i n g & A u d i o v i s u a l T e c h n o l o g y A white paper by level 3 healthcare

Anticipating a move into a new healthcare simulation center is an exciting time for program directors and educators. At the same time, it is also riddled with many decisions, unanswered questions and unknown factors. Where does one start? For most, this will be the first time program leadership and stakeholders have ever engaged in such a project.

PHASE 1Establish a Simulation Facility Planning Team

In order to find the right solutions, decision-makers must first have a clear understanding of the scope of the project, how the center will be used and the various work-flows that educators, staff and learner/participants will need. The beginning planning stage, building the planning team and the ongoing communication are the most important phases of the project.

“We don’t know what we don’t know” has never been more true than planning a simulation lab/center. The breadth of knowledge needed to complete the project successfully (success being defined by the building enabling program and curricular objectives to be achieved) goes far beyond any one person.

Department or Division Director Clinical lab Manager Faculty/Educators (Sim Educators) Operations Staff Institutional Facility Management IT Department Representatives

Network Management Server Management Instructional Technology Managers & Specialists Simulation Technology & Facility Expert Consultants should have an understanding of: Practical hands-on experience with design, implementation and testing of systems. Simulation education best practices

Practical operational best practices

Who should be involved in the initial stages of the simulation facility planning? Consider the following participants from which to select representatives:

F a c i l i t y P l a n n i n g & A u d i o v i s u a l T e c h n o l o g y A white paper by level 3 healthcare

PHASE 2Due Diligence; Site Surveys & Field Trips.

The facility planning team should visit at least 3-5 simulation labs and centers. Do not limit your visits to simulation facilities of the same size and scope of your own program. Elements of large simulation centers may provide great ideas to be implemented in smaller programs, and smaller programs may offer powerful innovations to be implemented by larger projects.

Phase 2a:

Team members should begin to familiarize themselves with the Simulation Standards published by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning (INACSL) which describes best practices for simulation educators. While these standards do not directly address facility design, they will inform the facility planning team on how simulation should best be implemented, which in turn will provide guidance for team members when considering design elements.

Phase 2b:

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare has developed Accreditation Standards for healthcare simulation programs. Simulation programs would be wise to implement these standards where accreditation is sought. Again, these standards will also inform team members on how best to implement best practice and, at the very least, will inform facility planning team members on the expectations SSH subject matter experts have worked hard to define.

How the various simulation technology systems interconnect and function. How to design interface systems that make control of the AV systems easy and reliable.

Due to the complexity of these elements, consider a full turn key solution where simulation AV experts are involved with your project during the exploratory proposal, implementation and testing phases of the project. Audiovisual integration specialists and/or consultants should have:

Practical hands-on experience with design, implementation and testing of complete AV systems as applied to healthcare simulation.

Understanding simulation education best- practices.

Architectural planning consultant Take care to keep the initial planning team down to one or two representatives from each group. If the planning team is too large, meetings can become less effective. Share your meeting minutes with your simulation faculty and staff, as well as any potential clients or partners. Encourage open feedback throughout the process, but take care not to let the process become politicized. You will not please everyone, so stay focused on defining objectives at the curricular and operational levels.

F a c i l i t y P l a n n i n g & A u d i o v i s u a l T e c h n o l o g y A white paper by level 3 healthcare

Both the INACSL Simulation Standards and the SSH Accreditation Standards provide a cognitive framework for evaluating simulation center exemplars and processes.

Many new simulation centers that base their simulation center design solely on the design elements of other simulation programs may find their objectives are not achievable or will need to be altered. Too many simulation program leaders find themselves saying “I wish we would have done this differently” once the program has been in service —or even before the building complete.

Consider inviting experts who have taken leadership roles in the development of standards to work with the facility planning team. This will help team members to understand the implications of both the INACSL and SSH Standards. The material can be daunting, so bringing in someone knowledgeable on these standards will make the journey more successful.

PHASE 3

PHASE 4Choose Consultants That Have Knowledge & Experience in Healthcare Simulation. Submit Drawings & Proposals

to Institutional Leadership for Approval & Funding.

If your team has not already done so, choose an architect with experience in the design of healthcare simulation labs and centers for the particular specialization that your center will support. If the center will support an undergraduate pre-licensure nursing program, entertain initial proposals from the architect. Planning meetings should be led by a moderator, who may be the team leader, or a consultant hired to guide the planning process.

This process will vary depending on the organizational structure and policies of the greater organization or institution. While institutional leadership are reviewing the proposal, the facility planning team’s job must continue.

Phase 3a:

Initial proposal(s) review: Proposals should be reviewed by the facility planning team only. Provide feedback to the architect and any consultants as necessary to be implemented in the next draft of the proposal.

Phase 3b: Schedule owner’s meeting: At this meeting, invite all stakeholders: faculty, staff, and potential partners and clients (if your center will be used by local hospitals, universities, research centers, etc.).

Phase 3c: Schedule facility planning team meeting; Meet with architect and consultants to integrate and/or disregard the feedback received in Phase 3b. Do not leave it up to the architect to decipher what suggestions are relevant to your program. At the conclusion of this phase, architects and consultants will begin developing a final draft of the facility floor plan and features.

Written by:H. Michael Young, CHSEDirector of Healthcare Education & Business Development at Level 3 Healthcare1-877-777-5328