Simulation Development : The Simmons Family

Today's nurse educators recognize the importance of implementing simulation to support quality learning outcomes and learner-oriented theory and clinical instruction. With the growing demand for simulation and limited financial resources, faculty at this rural university in the western United States created a simulation center that emulated reality. A myriad of family simulation characters was constructed and became known as the Simmons family. This family evolved via the framework of complexity theory and developed character, stories, ethics, cultural differences, genetics, family dynamics, and health care concerns. Probing questions were written to address critical thinking, decision-making, and team building concepts. The nursing simulation curriculum is evolving from a simple to a complex framework. The results of pilot testing were positive among students using this new learning technology. Recommendations for further integration included the use of cues and partitioning information to aid in learning. The Simmons are a high-tech, high-touch family, with faculty-developed electronic medical records integrated throughout the undergraduate and graduate curriculum.