President's Message

Abstract

It is my distinct honor to introduce the “INACSL Standards and Guidelines for Practice: Simulation” for 2013. This esteemed document is the result of the excellent project management skills of our Standards committee along with input from the expert Standards advisory board and the INACSL board of directors. After the initial release of the Standards in 2011, the INACSL board made a commitment to continuous quality improvement and appointed a Standards committee chairperson, Professor Jimmie Borum, to direct the process for timely updates and revisions of the Standards of Best Practice: Simulation. The board members had the vision and wisdom to recognize that the discipline of simulation would change shape as new research findings emerged. These new findings would definitely impact the scope of the Standards and, therefore, would necessitate revisions. In addition, the board also recognized the need for guidelines to accompany each Standard of Best Practice. The Standards committee was charged with developing a clear set of guidelines to be used when implementing the Standards. Since the release of the first set of Standards, many health care and academic institutions have adopted the INACSL Standards as a core foundation to be used when implementing simulation-based educational modalities. They have been cited in hundreds of publications and presented to simulation educators both nationally and internationally. The use of the Standards in research and funding proposals demonstrates the use of the most current evidence when designing and implementing simulation experiences. The Standards have provided the foundation for new simulation programs and have clarified the direction for more advanced programs. Although we are celebrating the momentous achievement of publishing the revised Standards and guidelines, the INACSL board of directors recognizes that the work continues, and our Standards committee will continue to work diligently to collect and collate the most current evidence related to the use of simulation for education, training, and evaluation. As new information arises, the committee will share these findings with the Standards advisory board and INACSL board of directors in order to shape the direction for the future. And, as always, we welcome our INACSL members' input during each step in this journey. In conclusion, I would like to personally thank Jimmie Borum and the members of the Standards committee for the development and distribution of this new document. I would also like to thank the members of the Standards advisory and the INACSL board of directors for their ongoing expertise and support of these monumental initiatives. INACSL is truly appreciative of CAE Healthcare and Elsevier Simulations for generously sponsoring the publication of the Standards and Guidelines. Finally, our thanks go to our INACSL membership, who supported this effort and allowed INACSL to become a leader in simulation standards development. We listened to the expert guidance provided by our members, and now the simulation community is reaping the benefits!!