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Matt Needler shares his journey from combat medic and philosophy major to becoming Director of Operations at Belmont University's 60,000-square-foot simulation center, where he oversees high-fidelity simulation experiences across healthcare disciplines.

• Started in simulation by chance after seeing a job opening while working in physical therapy
• Advanced from technician to coordinator to director roles across multiple institutions
• Holds dual CHSOS and CHSE certifications, making him among the first 100 people worldwide with both
• Creates innovative simulation experiences including a mannequin that simulates upper GI bleeds with pumping blood
• Currently developing AI applications for simulation, including a system for nursing students to practice SOAP notes
• Presenting at IMSH on learning theories for simulationists and AI integration in healthcare simulation
• Emphasizes career advancement possibilities for simulation technicians
• Attributes success to willingness to ask questions and apply for opportunities
• Can be reached on LinkedIn or at matthew.needler@belmont.edu

Join Matt at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) in San Antonio, where he'll be presenting on learning theories and AI applications in simulation.

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Dr. Cynthia Clark opens up about the hidden epidemic affecting healthcare environments nationwide: workplace incivility. Drawing from decades of research and practical experience, she paints a compelling picture of how seemingly minor behaviors like eye-rolling or walking away mid-conversation can create serious patient safety risks when they occur in clinical settings.

What makes this conversation particularly illuminating is Dr. Clark's nuanced understanding of workplace dynamics. She introduces listeners to her "continuum of workplace aggression" framework, which helps identify problematic behaviors ranging from subtle nonverbal cues to outright bullying and gaslighting. Her explanation of how victims often blame themselves rather than recognizing manipulative behaviors provides a wake-up call for anyone who's experienced that unsettling feeling of questioning their own reality after an interaction with a difficult colleague.

The heart of this episode focuses on cognitive rehearsal—a simulation-based technique that transforms how healthcare professionals respond to incivility. Through a practical five-step process, Dr. Clark demonstrates how professionals can prepare for and address difficult conversations rather than avoiding them. Her PAIL framework (Preview, Advocacy, Inquiry, Listen) offers a structured approach that anyone can implement immediately. The example scenario featuring "Iris," a domineering colleague who derails meetings, provides a masterclass in how to approach uncomfortable but necessary conversations.

Whether you're a nursing educator, a healthcare professional, or anyone who's experienced workplace tension, this episode delivers practical strategies for creating more respectful environments. Dr. Clark's insistence on calling communication competencies "power skills" rather than "soft skills" underscores their critical importance in healthcare settings where lives literally depend on effective collaboration. Ready to transform your workplace interactions? This episode provides the blueprint.

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The BCIT simulation team shares their transformative journey from siloed departments to a unified center of excellence, culminating in their recent SSH accreditation as Canada's fourth accredited program. Carrie Meager and Heather Epp reveal how leadership support, psychological safety, and human-centered approaches created their successful simulation community.

• Evolution from fragmented lab-based learning across 11 buildings to a coordinated simulation program with standardized practices
• Moving beyond skills training to develop critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and clinical decision-making
• Building psychological safety at every level creates an environment where innovation thrives
• SSH accreditation process provided structure while identifying areas for quality improvement
• Focus on human elements through their 40+ simulated participant program addressing communication challenges
• Creative approaches like "cakeable moments" and SimPath faculty development promote psychological safety
• Leadership support from deans and directors was crucial for success
• Innovative virtual simulations address costly consumables in programs like Med Lab Sciences

The BCIT simulation team welcomes connections through LinkedIn or email and can be found at conferences like SimExpo and IMSH. They're happy to share resources and support others building simulation programs.

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Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmarn/

Readiness quiz: https://emergency.scoreapp.com/

A staggering statistic opens this eye-opening conversation with Dr. Richard Marn: one person per day dies in the United States due to medical emergencies that begin in dental offices. As a board-certified anesthesiologist with decades of experience, Dr. Marn reveals the critical safety gaps in dental practices and how his journey from academic medicine to founding Blue Pacific Medical Simulation led him to address this overlooked public health issue.

Dr. Marn introduces us to the fascinating "beehive versus lone wolf" concept – explaining how hospital teams function collaboratively like beehives during emergencies, while dental practices often rely on the dentist alone (the "lone wolf") to handle everything. This fundamental difference in approach creates dangerous vulnerabilities when seconds matter most.

The heart of the episode explores Dr. Marn's innovative Four Pillars of Sedation Emergency Readiness: Infrastructure, Competency, Culture, and Habit. Beyond just having the right equipment or knowing CPR, these pillars address psychological safety, team dynamics, and creating systems where everyone knows their role in a crisis. Through compelling examples and practical insights, Dr. Marn demonstrates how dental practices can move from simply checking regulatory boxes to building genuinely effective emergency response capabilities.

Perhaps most valuable are the actionable steps dental teams can implement immediately – from five-minute huddles that create psychological safety to using Dr. Marn's free online assessment tool (emergencyscorapp.com) to identify specific practice vulnerabilities. His approach acknowledges the realities of busy dental practices while providing a clear framework for meaningful safety improvements.

Whether you're a dental professional looking to enhance your practice's safety protocols or simply someone curious about what happens when things go wrong in healthcare settings, this episode offers profound insights into saving lives when every second counts. Connect with Dr. Marn on LinkedIn to learn more about his work transforming dental emergency preparedness.

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Dr. Kristina Dreifurst explains how her revolutionary Debriefing for Meaningful Learning (DML) model enhances clinical reasoning among nursing students through structured debriefing techniques that focus on the relationship between thinking and action. She shares her journey from using early Mrs. Chase mannequins as a nursing student to developing a pedagogical approach now utilized in over 500 nursing programs worldwide.

• Dr. Dreifurst's simulation journey began in the 1980s and gained momentum in 2005 when she received new high-fidelity mannequins
• An experience at Disney's "It's a Small World" attraction sparked insights about generational responses to mannequins
• DML originated during her PhD studies when her assumptions about simulation fidelity were challenged
• The "four square" approach examines right/wrong thinking paired with right/wrong actions
• "Right action, wrong thinking" is surprisingly common even among experienced clinicians
• Reflection Beyond Action component helps students transfer knowledge across different clinical situations
• Co-creating knowledge through Socratic questioning leads to better retention than lecture-style debriefing
• Simulation's role is evolving toward competency assessment in addition to being a safe learning environment
• Dr. Dreifurst is transitioning to a new role at Vanderbilt as senior associate dean for academics

Stay current with simulation education research and development as the field continues to evolve rapidly. Our students deserve the best that we can give them.

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Lou Oberndorf's vision transformed healthcare education forever. As founder of Medical Education Technologies (METI), he brought simulation technology from aerospace into medical training when educators were still relying on centuries-old teaching methods. "Medicine has been practicing on us for a thousand years and we're done with it," Lou explains, capturing the revolutionary spirit that drove his pioneering work.

What makes Oberndorf's story fascinating isn't just the technology he championed, but his crucial insight that curriculum development—not just hardware—would determine simulation's success. When nursing educators struggled to integrate these new tools, METI took on the ambitious project of reconstructing entire nursing curricula around simulation opportunities. This comprehensive approach dramatically accelerated adoption across healthcare education, elevating nursing to become a full partner alongside medical schools in simulation-based training.

The journey wasn't without surprises. Oberndorf candidly shares his shock at healthcare's initial resistance to innovation and the delicate balance required between advancing technology and allowing time for meaningful adoption. His current work with Operative Experience continues his lifelong quest for anatomical fidelity—creating simulators that truly look, feel, and respond like human patients for trauma and combat medicine training.

Looking toward the future, Oberndorf believes artificial intelligence will transform every aspect of healthcare simulation while maintaining that hands-on experience remains irreplaceable. His legacy extends beyond the technology itself to the creation of an entire industry and career path for simulation educators who once risked being labeled "career killers" for their forward-thinking approach.

Ready to explore how simulation can transform your healthcare education program? Connect with Innovative Sim Solutions today to discover the powerful world of simulation-based learning that Lou Oberndorf helped pioneer decades ago—technology that continues to save lives by preparing healthcare providers for their most challenging moments.

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Finding your dream job isn't always a straight path – just ask Dr. Kristen Brown. What began as volunteering to be an "embedded actor" in simulation scenarios designed for medical residents transformed into a career-defining passion that now shapes healthcare education at Johns Hopkins and beyond.

Dr. Brown takes us behind the scenes as Associate Dean for Simulation and Immersive Learning at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, where she's pioneered simulation education across all advanced practice nursing programs. Her innovative approach has expanded simulation capacity through virtual reality, adding thousands of additional training hours while maintaining the pedagogical integrity that makes simulation effective. From standardizing simulation curricula to leveraging cutting-edge technology, Dr. Brown reveals how simulation has evolved from a supplementary teaching tool to an essential component of clinical preparation.

The power of simulation comes to life through Dr. Brown's personal experience responding to a roadside emergency. Drawing on skills practiced countless times in simulation scenarios, she instinctively managed a critical airway situation despite being outside her specialty area. This real-world application perfectly illustrates why simulation matters – it creates lasting behavioral changes that translate directly to improved patient outcomes. As Dr. Brown emphasizes, regardless of technological advancements, effective simulation must drive behavior change through meaningful engagement and evidence-based practices.

Dr. Brown's work extends beyond Hopkins through her leadership roles with the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, where she serves on the Board of Directors and multiple committees. Her recent policy initiative brought together presidents of major simulation organizations, healthcare education leaders, and policy experts to develop a consensus statement that will shape simulation's role in addressing workforce development challenges. Join us for this fascinating conversation about how simulation is revolutionizing healthcare education and why staying true to its foundational principles ensures it remains transformative for learners and patients alike.

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What happens when simulation breaks free from hospital walls and becomes embedded throughout an entire healthcare system? Ryan Aga and Don Brock reveal the remarkable transformation at Health Partners, where simulation has evolved from a training method into a life-saving force reaching 14,000 learners annually across eight hospitals, countless clinics, and even rural communities.

Their story unfolds through powerful examples of lives saved, including a cardiac arrest patient given just a 5% chance of survival who later thanked the simulation-trained team for allowing him to witness his grandson's birth. This isn't just about clinical skills—it's about creating a culture where simulation becomes woven into the organizational fabric, with their CEO personally sharing simulation success stories with hundreds of leaders.

Behind the numbers lies a deeply human approach. Don, a retired Air Force flight nurse turned simulation operations manager, brings mechanical precision to Ryan's visionary leadership. Together, they've built a program that reaches every corner of their system, from dental clinics to primary care offices now handling patients with acuity levels previously seen only in emergency departments. They're even building the future healthcare workforce through extensive youth programs in local schools.

The President's Award-winning team doesn't shy away from healthcare's harsh realities—the lingering trauma of the pandemic, financial constraints, and the sobering statistic that 250,000 Americans die annually from preventable medical errors. Their response? A fierce tenacity to improve, an openness to diverse perspectives (including hiring a biomedical engineer to bring fresh insights), and a deep commitment to supporting each other through healthcare's most challenging era.

Whether you're just beginning your simulation journey or looking to scale your existing program, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical wisdom from pioneers who've made simulation an essential, system-wide force for saving lives. Connect with Ryan and Don on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about transforming healthcare through simulation.

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