Cook Children’s is the first pediatric hospital to earn full accreditation through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare for its simulation education program. SSH uses simulation education to increase the quality of healthcare and evaluates simulation programs by research, core standards, teaching/education, assessments, and systems integration.
Cook Children’s has been using its in-house simulation program to connect education and clinical experience and is the first pediatric program out of the 179 accredited programs across the world to receive this recognition.
Cook Children’s Simulation Program began in 2009 and since then has grown from a single simulator to 17 simulators that can have seizures, cry wiggle, talk, blink and breathe, and turn blue. The program logged about 26,000 hours of training and 11,000 visits in 2019. The hospital’s Simulation Program also prepares parents of children with tracheostomies to transition their children home.
“To be the preeminent model for delivering pediatric health care, we must prepare our staff to confidently recognize and intervene using evidence-based practices,” Deborah Rubinsonm Assistant Vice President, Organizational and Professional Development, said via a press release. “Becoming accredited in all five standards held by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare is a testament to Cook Children’s core belief that practice and education are essential to achieve zero harm.”
