W H Y I S I T I M P O RTA N T TO YO U ?

HEALTHCARE SIMULATION CREDENTIALING

DISCLOSURES

• Timothy Whitaker BS, CHSE, CHSOS, CMTE, EMT-P• Chair SSH Membership Committee• Co-Chair SSH CHSOS Exam Readiness Course Committee• Liaison to SSH Education Committee• Vice-President SSH EMS Affinity Group• Member SimGhost Research Committee• Contributor STORM Magazine• Clinical Educator CAE• Receives a salary from CAE

HEALTHCARE SIMULATION:WHERE WERE WE? ARE WE? WILL BE?

WHAT IS CREDENTIALING?

• A term applied to processes used to designate that an individual, program, institution, or product have met established standards set by an agent (governmental or non-governmental) recognized as qualified to carry out this task. The standards may be minimal and mandatory or above the minimum and voluntary• From Styles and Affara, 1997 (International Council of

Nurses website)

IN HEALTHCARE SIMULATION:

• Accreditation• SSH, ASA, ACS, RCS

• Certification• SSH

• Certificate Programs• Numerous!

CREDENTIALING

• Accreditation (Simulation Programs/Centers)• Certification (Individuals)

• Certificate programs• Seminars, webinars etc• Degrees

Verification/Validation

Development/Learning

THE SSH CREDENTIALING STORY

DEVELOPMENT

• Developing frameworks in which healthcare simulation activities are delivered

• Focusing on outcomes as well as processes• Ensuring non-prescriptive ideas and concepts• Inclusivity of the various components identified in

healthcare simulation, including, but not limited to:

INCLUSIVITY:

• Modality (e.g. virtual reality, standardized/simulated patients, manikins, etc)

• Types of simulation activities (e.g. research, education, assessment, etc)

• Setting (e.g. academic, hospital-based, mobile, etc)• Cultural (e.g. ethnicity, language, beliefs, etc)• Clinical (e.g. professions, methods, etc)• Experience (e.g. new learners, experienced healthcare providers)• Regulatory (e.g. laws, regulations, etc)• Purposes (e.g. patient safety, improved outcomes, competency

verification etc)

DEVELOPMENT

• The goal was to create a voluntary evaluation process for programs and individuals that, by adhering to these principles, recognizes performance to a set of standards. However, by focusing on the end point rather than the specific path, also support creativity, flexibility, and evolving practices.

We wouldn’t be here without:

EXPLORING SSH ACCREDITATION

• Accredits your Program (not your individual programs)

• Core-ART-S model• Core• Assessment• Research• Teaching/Education• Systems Integration

A BIT MORE DETAIL

• Full accreditation is for Programs that can demonstrate two years of outcomes data in the areas applied• Includes a on-site visit by a review team

• Provisional accreditation• For new Programs or for Programs that do not yet have

documentation of the two years of outcomes• Same Standards—but what will be done (not what has

been done)• Core & Teaching/Education only currently

WHY ACCREDIT?

• Improves healthcare education through the identification of best practices and recognition of practice

• Improves healthcare simulation through providing standardization and a pool of knowledge of best practices

• Strengthens patient safety efforts through support of simulation modalities

• Supports education and consultation on good practices and benchmarks to improve business operations

• Encourages the sharing of best practices through education and consultation

• Provides external validation of individual simulation programs• Strengthens organizational, community, and learner confidence in the

WHY ACCREDIT?

• Garners local support, resources, and commitment• Fosters a feedback loop between education and practice by participating

in a continuous process of improvement• Encourages performance improvement within the simulation program• Provides a competitive edge in the community, program offerings, and

grant funding• Provides a customized, intensive process of review grounded in the unique

mission and values of the organization• Enhances staff recruitment and development• Recognizes expertise in simulation above and beyond domain expertise

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Submit online application form (primarily high level information and descriptives)

• Submit Accreditation Packet• All submitted items reviewed by assigned team• Site review (in-person for Full; phone interview for

Provisional)• Recommendation sent to Board of Review

PRINCIPLES OF CERTIFICATION

• Voluntary process• Some facilities will require it however

• Delivered by a non-governmental body• Time-limited• Must be updated to stay current with the latest practice

• Use of a credential to individuals who have demonstrated that they have met predetermined and standardized criteria for required knowledge, skills, or competencies

CERTIFICATION

• Professional accountability requires a self-regulating profession to set and maintain credible, useful standards for its members. Voluntary certification and recertification--evaluation by peers--serves the responsibility of the profession to establish and enforce its own standards.” -JA Benson

certification and recertification: one approach to professional accountability JA Benson - Ann Intern Med, 1991 - ukpmc.ac.uk

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CERTIFIED?

• Certifications are developed by the industry (healthcare simulation)• Established by consensus process of SMEs

• Externally validates your knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Is a means of demonstrating performance• Demonstrates your commitment to personal

professional development

CERTIFICATION IS VALUABLE TO ME

• Professional credential• Enhanced visibility to your employer• Self-evaluation process as a result of completing the

certification• Recognition by your peers

CERTIFICATION IS VALUABLE TO THE COMMUNITY

• Demonstrates that you meet the Standards• Supports consistency in knowledge, processes, and

outcomes• Supports professional development• Improves quality simulation activities, supporting the

downstream effects of simulation • Patient Safety • Improved patient outcomes• Financial considerations

Back to you…

HOW DO I GET CERTIFIED?

STEP 1: REVIEW ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Participate in healthcare simulation in an educational role/in an operations specialist role

• Simulation activities must be for healthcare learners at some level

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent*• Two years of experience in a healthcare simulation

setting

STEP 2: COMPLETE AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• Log in to the SSH Website• Create a profile if you do not have one

• On the Certification pages, you can click on one of the “Apply now” links

• Enter all of the information in the application• Incomplete applications will create unnecessary delays

KEY APPLICATION ELEMENTS

• Demographics• Work history (healthcare simulation focus)• Education (degrees, courses, etc)• Healthcare Simulation activities• References (Confidential Structured Reports of

Performance—the CSRP)• Ensure all email addresses are correct!

• Complete all information—don’t go minimum!• Payment is the final step to complete submission

CSRP

• Structured references that ask your references to both rate you on a Likert scale for your healthcare simulation activities and also insert some comments

• You DO NOT need to send the links, it is automatic once the application is submitted after payment• Again, make sure their email addresses are correct

• Let them know it is coming!• Spam/junk/firewalls

• These are the most common cause of the application

STEP 3: WAITING

• Take the time to prepare for the exam• Monitor your application status (logging back in)• Check with your references• You can always check with us

• Your application is peer-reviewed once all references are in

• Typical time frame• 2-4 weeks overall

STEP 4: APPROVAL AND EXAM SCHEDULING

• On approval:• You will receive an email notifying you• You will have 90 days to take the exam from this notification

• You will also receive information on how to sign up for the exam

• You choose the location, must be taken at a testing site: • http://www.isoqualitytesting.com/mlocations.aspx

• You choose the date and time (based on exam site availability)• SSH does NOT schedule you

STEP 5: TAKE (AND PASS!) THE EXAM!

• Exam information• 115 questions• 100 scored, 15 are beta• 2 hour duration• Extensions can be requested--but you have to ask! This includes

those for whom English is their second language• Send us an email to find out…

• Results are given on site prior to you leaving• Certification is good for three years

PREPARING FOR THE EXAM

EXAMINATION BLUEPRINT

• Every question on the exam must map back to the blueprint

• Includes the domains and the weighting of each domain (5 domains)

• Also includes the detailed information for each domain

• Located at:• http://www.ssih.org/Certification/CHSE/Exam-Information• http://www.ssih.org/Certification/CHSOS/Exam-

Information

PRACTICE EXAM

• Available through the application website• Can be taken even without having submitted your

application• 30 questions written by the same authors• Includes rationales for each question that can be

reviewed for up to 30 days• Can be taken at home or at work• Cost is $75 (USD)

PREPARATORY COURSES

• Official SSH courses ($275)• 8 hour in-person courses developed by CHSOS Test Prep

Subcommittee• 0800-1700 schedule• Lunch and resources included

• Much more in-depth preparation, helps you identify areas of need and develop a plan of action

• Schedule and registration of currently scheduled courses is on the web

SCHEDULE OF WORKSHOPS

• Mar 10 (Orlando, FL)• Apr 23 (Springfield, VA)• May 21 (Los Angeles, CA)• Jul 23 (Greenville, SC)• Sep 24 (Philadelphia, PA)• Oct 29 (Livingston, NJ)

• More pending…

Don’t Forget

• References are posted on the website• Compiled from those provided by the item writers• Lengthy, best to pick selectively

• SimConnect and other communities • Journals such as Simulation in Healthcare

CHSE-A ELIGIBILITY

• Must be a currently certified CHSE.• Participate in healthcare simulation in an educational

role.• Focused simulation expertise on learners in

undergraduate, graduate, allied health or healthcare practitioners.

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience.*• Five years of continued use of simulation in

healthcare education, research, or administration.

APPLICATION

• Application is an extensive healthcare simulation focused portfolio

• Includes Reflective Statements• MUST clearly show ability to critically self-reflect and

improve

• Portfolio takes between 20-40 hours to complete• The challenge is to DEMONSTRATE your performance

at the Advanced level• See Suggested Evidence

PROCESS

• Application is peer-reviewed and evaluated against the Standards and Suggested Evidence• Same Standards as CHSE, but much higher level of

performance and activity

• Successful applicants will have demonstrated their knowledge, skills and abilities as a healthcare simulation educator

QUESTIONS

• What questions can we answer for you?

• Contact information:• aspain@ssih.org• www.simcertification.com