Finding Funding: The Nurses' Guide to Simulation Success

The introduction of high-fidelity simulation (HFS) into nursing education provides nursing educators with a technologically based teaching strategy that offers a higher level of interactivity and realism than has ever been available before. In addition to providing a safe learning environment for students, the use of this technology may provide many benefits to students, faculty, and the nursing program itself. However, this technology is expensive; the most basic of simulation labs begin at well over $100,000, and more advanced labs can cost millions. Most educational institutions do not have capital dollars readily available to support the integration of HFS into their curricula, and instead must seek funding from outside their educational environment. This article provides practical information to assist nurse educators in successfully obtaining funding for the development of HFS centers by means of government granting agencies, private foundations, and private health care institutions.