The California Simulation Alliance is a leader in faculty development for simulation educators, having trained over 2,500 simulation faculty. CSA courses have an interprofessional focus and are designed for all levels. Following principles of adult learning, all courses are interactive and immersive in nature and support transition of the learner from novice to expert. The CSA courses are preparatory for the Certification as Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) endorsed by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.  Check our website regularly for dates and registration information.

If you are interested in the CSA coming to your school or hospital, contact KT Waxman at kt@healthimpact.org

Contact Alexandra Duke at (424) 422-5903 or alexandra@healthimpact.org with questions.

Courses may be cancelled by CSA prior to the first day of class due to a variety of situations.  Notice will be given as far in advance as possible.  In cases where CSA cancels a course, a full refund will be given back to the payor.  Participants may also cancel their registration prior to the start of the class and request a refund for courses they have paid for.  Refunds will be processed in accordance with the following schedule:

• Cancellation 14 days prior to the first day of class: 100% of the course fee will be refunded minus a $10 administrative fee
• Cancellation fewer than 14 days before the first day of class or a no-show: No refund will be given

The CSA is offering a structured support program to healthcare faculty who are engaged in simulation education.  This program is designed to extend the learning experience for faculty by pairing individual learners with experienced CSA instructors.  This approach is supported by recent evidence from the National Council on State Board of Nursing (NCSBN) study results and the National League of Nursing (NLN) Simulation Innovation Resource Center (SIRC) Faculty Development Toolkit.  This program works to facilitate the growth of simulation faculty from Novice to Competent instructors in alignment with the Benner theoretical model utilized by the CSA.

Program Details:

A complimentary evaluation of individual needs will be conducted by the CSA faculty including:

• Prioritization of learning needs
• Proposed length of time for mentoring
• Proposed number of hours

Each learner will be presented with a mentoring package to include:

• Time period for mentoring
• Total number of hours
• Assigned Mentor

NOTE: 

• The minimum number of hours for mentoring is 5 hours
• Initial mentoring session is generally 30 minutes
• The time for each session is negotiated between the mentor and the mentee (learner)

Cost:

• CSA Members: $100/hour; Non-CSA Members: $125/hour
• Minimum: 5 hours with each hour after this at the hourly rate
• Packages of 20 hours will be discounted by 5%

HealthImpact and the CSA are licensed providers of the Apprentice Simulation Curriculum (ASC) developed by SimHealth Consultants. The program is conducted by designated simulation centers around the state that have completed training as apprentice sites.
There are currently four apprentice sites in California — two in the Bay Area and two in southern California:

Samuel Merritt University Health Sciences Simulation Center in Oakland offers a full range of simulation methodologies applied to learning activities designed for all clinical settings and for virtually all medical or nursing sub-specialties. Samuel Merritt also serves healthcare professionals in the greater northern California region by providing continuing education courses and facilitating training sessions related to simulation-based education.

The Center for Advanced Pediatric and Perinatal Education (CAPE) at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford in Palo Alto is the world’s first and foremost simulation center dedicated to training in the fetal, neonatal, pediatric and obstetric sciences. CAPE’s mission is to prepare physicians, nurses and allied healthcare professionals to successfully manage intense, dynamic and complex clinical situations.

Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance is a 436-bed acute care hospital offering simulation for new grad RNs, women’s health, neonatal and adult inpatient RNs, as well as interdisciplinary for its ED and perioperative teams. The primary focus is on improving patient safety outcomes through the use of simulation.

The Loma Linda University Medical Simulation Center in Loma Linda provides a safe learning environment in which the learner can focus on relevant knowledge, skills, teamwork, communication and clinical problem-solving to demonstrate or enhance clinical performance.

The apprentice program is a structured opportunity for experienced faculty to teach in supervised learning environments where experienced simulation faculty can directly model and mentor simulation education methods. The apprentice site provides the 72-hour immersion experience over a period of months based on the learning needs of the participant matched with the available types and levels of simulation education available at the site and guided by a faculty mentor identified to work directly with the participant throughout the experience.

If you would like to apply to the apprentice program, you can download the application here.
For more information, please contact KT Waxman at kt@healthimpact.org.