Designing Nursing Curricula for Competency-Based Education: The Role of Simulation Scenarios
January 28, 2026
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (ET)
Webinar Details
In the Essentials Competency Assessment Framework, AACN recognizes that effective assessment requires educational methodologies that support faculty in creating meaningful experiential learning opportunities. To advance this work, the AACN Assessment Expert Working Group established the Scenario Subgroup to design templates for entry- and advanced-level simulation experiences that foster learner development as described in Miller’s Pyramid. This webinar will highlight the resources, core tenets, and strategies for incorporating formative assessment through the use of these nursing practice simulation scenarios to support the development and assessment of AACN competencies.
Outcomes:
- Describe how experiential learning and formative assessment are integrated within the Essentials Competency Assessment Framework to support learner development.
- Demonstrate how to use AACN nursing practice simulation scenarios to support teaching and learning, with an emphasis on progressing learner performance along Miller’s Pyramid.
- Develop strategies for implementing nursing practice simulation scenarios to support the assessment and demonstration of AACN competencies.
Speakers
Speakers
Carol F. Durham, EdD, MSN, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Professor Emeritus
University of North Carolina School of Nursing
Dr. Carol Durham is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Over her 45-year tenure, she served as Director of the Education–Innovation–Simulation Learning Environment, overseeing skill acquisition and simulation-based learning across prelicensure and graduate nursing programs. She has also held multiple leadership roles within the School of Nursing, including Faculty Chair and the Inaugural Director of Interprofessional Education & Practice.
Dr. Durham is recognized as a national and international leader in the fields of quality and safety, simulation and interprofessional education. A past President of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), she collaborated with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and other experts to establish simulation guidelines for nursing programs. As a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project, Dr. Durham’s work has had a sustained impact on preparing faculty to integrate quality, safety, and evidence-based pedagogy into their teaching.
She is a contributor to the AACN Essentials Assessment Expert Working Group and chairs the AACN Essentials Scenario Working Group, leading national efforts to integrate simulation as a methodology for coaching students to meet the AACN Essentials.
Dr. Durham continues to support prelicensure students in developing strong clinical reasoning and judgment skills through robust case-based learning and situated coaching/debriefing. She has an extensive record of publications and is frequently invited to present nationally and internationally on simulation and healthcare education.
Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2023 Society for Simulation in Healthcare Director of the Year, INACSL’s 2018 “Spirit of Simulation” Leadership Excellence Award, the 2017 Presidentia l Citation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and the 2025 DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), the National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education (ANEF), and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare Academy (FSSH).
Jennifer T. Alderman, PhD, MSN, RN, CNL, CNE, CHSE, NEA-BC
Clinical Professor & Interprofessional Education and Practice Director
UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing
Dr. Jennifer T. Alderman is a Clinical Professor and Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing, where she has been a faculty member for over 15 years. As Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPEP) Director of the school, she works to ensure that IPE and simulation are integrated across programs and properly leveled across the curriculum. Dr. Alderman and colleagues have presented nationally and internationally about simulation outcomes, including the impact of virtual simulation on the clinical judgment in pre-licensure nursing students. She has published in the Journal of Interprofessional Care and the Journal of Nursing Care Quality, co-authored book chapters on simulation in Quality and Safety in Nursing: A Competency Approach to Improving Outcomes (3rd ed.), Clinical Simulation in Nursing: From Conceptualization to Evaluation (3rd ed.), Reflective Practice: Reimagining Ourselves, Reimagining Nursing (3rd ed.), and
The Nexus between Nursing and Patient Safety and has given over 25 presentations at national and international conferences over the past decade. Dr. Alderman is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, American Nurses Association, North Carolina Nurses Association, and a lifetime member of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL). Dr. Alderman chaired INACSL's Membership Engagement Committee where she worked on webinars, national conference planning, and served as the inaugural season one host of the Let’s Talk Sim podcast.
Leah Burt, PhD, APRN-FPA, ANP-BC, CHSE, FAANP
Clinical Assistant Professor
Director, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program
Director of Simulation Assessment & Research, M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning & Simulation Laboratory
University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing
Dr. Leah Burt is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing, as well as Director of Simulation Research in the College of Nursing's M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning and Simulation Laboratory. After completing her PhD in Nursing Science with a focus on diagnostic reasoning, Dr. Burt engaged in postdoctoral training as a Fellow in Diagnostic Excellence through the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine as well as postdoctoral training in simulation education and research. She is a current Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Faculty Scholar. A Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, Dr. Burt’s scholarship blends expertise in educational design with mixed methodology research to discover evidence-based ways to assess and enhance learner competency through innovative simulation. Dr. Burt collaborates with nurse practitioner educators across the country and her leadership has been honored with the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine’s Emerging Leader Rising Star Award, the Barbara Berger Excellence in Teaching Award, and the DAISY Faculty Award for extraordinary educational contributions.
Mindi Anderson, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, CNE, CHSOS, CHSE-A, ANEF, FSSH, FAAN
Associate Dean for Simulation and Immersive Learning
Professor
Director for Healthcare Simulation Program
University of Central Florida
Dr. Mindi Anderson is an early pioneer in healthcare simulation education who is today one of the world’s foremost experts in the field. She is the inaugural and current program director of the Healthcare Simulation graduate program at the UCF College of Nursing. Anderson’s research, which includes virtual and game-based simulation, new simulation technologies, standardized patients, interprofessional education using simulation and use of simulation in preparing students for nursing practice, has been widely published and presented both nationally and internationally. Her findings over the last 14 years have advanced nursing science and helped to establish best practices in healthcare simulation education. In addition, Anderson is part of an interdisciplinary team at UCF that has been issued two patents on advances in simulation and training.
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The AACN-AONL Academic–Practice Partnership Playbook: From Shared Vision to Action
November 25, 2025
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (ET)
Registration for Non-Members: AACN membership is not required to attend this webinar. Please create a free My AACN individual account to complete your registration.
Webinar Details
Join us for a powerful follow-up to the April 2025 AACN/AONL webinar, where the AACN/AONL Academic-Practice Partnership Playbook: From Shared Vision to Action—developed by the joint advisory committee—will be presented for the first time. This session will showcase the Playbook, highlight early implementation successes, and preview the committee’s exciting next steps. The committee co-chairs will share insider perspectives from the five collaborative writing groups that shaped the Playbook and provide practical strategies for bringing its exemplars to life across academic and practice settings.
They will also outline the committee’s plans for a comprehensive dissemination strategy and impact measurement framework—ensuring the Playbook drives meaningful and lasting change. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with leaders from across nursing academia and practice and leave with actionable tools to integrate the Playbook into your workflows, strengthen partnerships, and advance health for all communities.
Outcomes:
- Provide an update on the development and refinement of the national Academic-Practice Partnership Playbook introduced by the AACN/AONL Academic-Practice Advisory Committee webinar from April 2025, entitled Navigating the Future Together: The Role of Academic-Practice Partnerships.
- Discuss practice strategies for participants to embed academic-practice principles and the Playbook into organizational workflows to build enduring partnerships that benefit communities across the country.
- Describe the next steps for evaluating the Playbook’s impact, including potential evaluation metrics an d exemplars of implementation strategies used organizations in diverse settings.
Note: Recording of the webinar will be available soon after the webinar airs. Visit AACN's On-Demand Webinars to watch.
Speakers
Speakers
Susan M. Grant, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Chief Clinical Officer
Symplr
Dr. Susan Grant is the chief clinical officer for Symplr, a leading provider of enterprise health care operations software. Prior to joining Symplr in February 2025, she served as executive vice president, chief experience officer and chief nurse executive at Wellstar Health System and has served as a chief nurse for five different U.S. health systems including The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, University of Washington Medical Center, Emory Healthcare and Beaumont Health. Her experience as a nurse executive has led to achievements including leading the nursing practice of over 10,000 nurses across all care settings and successful Magnet designation and redesignation of nine different hospitals. She has led through public health crises, including Ebola and COVID-19.
Dr. Grant currently serves on the Daisy Foundation Board of Directors, co-chair of the AACN/AONL Task Force on Academic Practice Partnerships, Vanderbilt University’s Dean’s Advisory Board, the JONA editorial board, and is immediate past chair of the Wellstar Medical College of Georgia Health board. Dr. Grant, a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing since 2010, is currently on the Academy’s Board of Directors and serves on the Academy’s Models of Care Task Force. She recently spearheaded the Academy’s Policy Dialogue on nursing’s role in virtual models of care. Dr. Grant is a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow, Johnson & Johnson Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow and Nurse Executive in Residence at Georgetown University. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia, master’s degree in nursing from the University of South Carolina, and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University.
Angela Clark, PhD, RN, CNE, FAA
N
Maxine Clark and Bob Fox President, Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, BJC HealthCare
Dr. Angela Clark is the Maxine Clark and Bob Fox President at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing and a Voluntary Research Professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. A nationally recognized nursing leader, she currently serves as co-chair of the AACN/AONL Academic-Practice Advisory, where she is committed to redefining how nursing education and health care institutions collaborate.
At Goldfarb, Dr. Clark is leading one of the most robust examples of this work through the BJC Full Ride Scholars Program. Since launching in May 2022, the program has become the largest of its kind in the nation, with 354 scholars to date—including a record 85 in the fall of 2025—and creating direct workforce pathways aligned with BJC HealthCare’s RN Career Ladder. Under her leadership, Goldfarb has experienced enrollment growth despite a highly competitive market, including a 43% increase in new students and a 73% increase in graduate program enrollment in 2025. Her leadership emphasizes reflexive academic-practice partnerships—dynamic collaborations that evolve in real time to meet the needs of students, employers, and communities.
Nationally, Dr. Clark has been recognized as a Coldiron Fellow, an Apple Distinguished Educator, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She was named a 2025 “Rising Star” in Modern Healthcare’s Women Leaders recognition program and is an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow. Passionate about advancing health equity and stabilizing the nursing workforce, Dr. Clark continues to champion innovative solutions that expand access to nursing education and strengthen the profession for generations to come.
Elizabeth G. NeSmith, PhD, RN
Dean and Professor
Augusta University
Dr. Elizabeth NeSmith is Chair of the Department of Physiological and Technological Nursing and Associate Professor in the College of Nursing with adjunct status in the AU Graduate School. Dr. NeSmith has more than 30 years of experience in trauma, emergency, and disaster nursing, with nursing leadership roles in these areas at the local, regional, and national levels.
Having obtained her Doctor of Philosophy degree with a focus on translational and interdisciplinary research, Dr. NeSmith’s federally funded grants have focused on the effects of lifetime chronic stress on the inflammatory response and how it impacts healing and vulnerability to complications following acute life-threatening injury. Dr. NeSmith’s research will lead to advances in tailoring individual treatments to prevent and improve acute outcomes of trauma. Dr. NeSmith is also very active at the state and national levels as an advocate for nursing research and faculty development. She was recently awarded more than $399K from the University System of Georgia to launch a research-based, interdisciplinary nursing faculty expansion program. In collaboration with her research team, Dr. NeSmith has multiple trauma-related publications and nationally presented abstracts and co-founded the Trauma Interdisciplinary Group for Research (TIGR). Together with her TIGR co-founder, Dr. Regina Medeiros, Dr. NeSmith developed and authored publications and national presentations which focus on the implementation of their PhD/DNP Operational Collaborative (P-DOC) Model of clinical and research collaboration among doctorally-prepared nurses.
Mark Schreiber, MBA, RN
Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer
Wellstar MCG Health System
Mr. Mark Schreiber is the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Wellstar MCG Health. Mark is responsible for strategic leadership and operational guidance for all aspects of nursing across the Medical Center and Health System, focusing on efficient and cost-effective operations, service excellence, patient safety and quality initiatives in partnership with the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.
Mark is a nursing executive with more than 36 years’ experience in health care. He has worked as a transporter, patient care tech, registered nurse in the Emergency Department, and his role progressed to charge nurse, nurse manager, and Director of ED Clinical Operations. In 2016, Mark was promoted to Dir ector of Emergency and Critical Care Services, which encompassed multiple ICUs and an Intermediate Care area. In 2021, Mark led the development and implementation of MCG Health’s AirCare Helicopter Transport Program and MCG Health’s first-ever Adult Critical Care Transport Team. In November 2022, Mark assumed responsibilities for the Histocompatibility/Immunology Lab, Pathology Services, Radiology, Rehabilitation Services and Respiratory Therapy. In September of 2023, with the alignment with Wellstar Health System, Mark became the VP and Chief Nursing Officer for Wellstar MCG Health, where he continues to serve in that role.
Mark earned a BS degree in biology from Augusta College, a BSN from the Medical College of Georgia and an MBA in healthcare management from Western Governors University. Mark is certified as a Nurse Executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). In 2014, Mark was recognized as the CSRA Nurse Manager of the Year. In 2018, he was awarded the Patient and Family Centered Care Partnership Award and in 2022 he was awarded the Pat Sodomka Leadership Award. Mark, a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, has recently discovered a passion for fundraising for cancer research. For 2024, Mark was named the regional Visionary of the Year for LLS when his team raised the highest amount during the fundraising campaign. Mark now serves on the local LLS leadership team.
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Applying INACSL’s Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice® in CBE
October 16, 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (ET)
Webinar Details
As nursing education transforms to embrace competency-based education (CBE), simulation emerges as a vital strategy for advancing experiential learning across the classroom, lab, and clinical environment. This webinar, offered in collaboration with leaders from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), will guide AACN members in exploring how simulation can elevate instructional approaches and strengthen learner outcomes. Designed for faculty at every level—including classroom instructors, course coordinators, clinical faculty, and simulation educators—this session will highlight the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice® and their application across diverse educational settings. Participants will gain evidence-based insights, practical strategies, and innovative examples of how simulation fosters meaningful learning, competency development, and rigorous evaluation. Attendees will also be introduced to INACSL resources to support continued growth and integration of simulation as a cornerstone of CBE in nursing education.
Outcomes:
- Apply the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice® across multiple modalities to support experiential learning and competency-based education.
- Evaluate strategies for integrating best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment to improve outcomes in nursing and healthcare simulation.
- Integrate INACSL resources and evidence-based strategies to support faculty growth and the adoption of simulation as a cornerstone of competency-based education (CBE).
Note: Recording of the webinar will be available soon after the webinar airs. Visit AACN's On-Demand Webinars to watch.
Speakers
Speakers
Fara Bowler, DNP, APRN
Associate Professor, Assistant Dean of Clinical Simulation Science Sr. Director of Clinical Partnerships and Placements
University of Colorado Anschutz
Dr. Fara Bowler is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, where she serves as Assistant Dean of Clinical Simulation Science and Senior Director of Clinical Partnership and Placements. A recognized leader in clinical and simulation-based education, she has advanced academic-clinical integration through her dual leadership roles. She is serving her second elected term on the INACSL Board of Directors, where she champions international member engagement through the International Community of Practice, and was an author of the 2021 INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation?. Dr. Bowler has also contributed as a member of the Standards Committee, served as liaison to the Governance and Financial Oversight Committees, and was an early collaborator in developing INACSL’s innovative Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice Endorsement™.
Ashley Franklin, PhD, RN
Polly & Tex Rankin Endowed Professor of Nursing
Texas Christian University
Dr. Ashley Franklin serves INACSL as the Immediate Past President and liaison to the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice Endorsement™ Committee. Her experience as a simulation leader at Texas Christian University includes curriculum, faculty development, program evaluation, and competency assessment in formative simulation. Dr. Franklin is a past author of the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice®.
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Designing the Future: Applications of 3D Modeling
May 01, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (ET)
Webinar Overview
This webinar, which is part of the GNSA’s nursing innovation series, will provide an overview of 3D modeling including some examples of where it can be used within healthcare. The speaker will also explore programs you can use for 3D modeling and provide the audience with some examples for use of 3D modeling. Leave the webinar with a tip sheet with instructions for creating a box in Tinkercad and a list of programs and suggested resources for 3D modeling.
Objectives
- Describe 3D modeling and its uses.
- Compare use of 3D models in creating physical products as well as digital assets.
This Webinar is hosted by the Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA). For more information on the GNSA, visit www.aacnnursing.org/GNSA.
Speakers
Speakers
Rebecca Dodmead, MSN, RN
Administrative Nursing Supervisor
Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital
Rebecca Domead is a dedicated nurse with over 17 years of experience in various healthcare settings. Rebecca's journey in nursing has taken her through the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Room, Med-Surg, Telemetry, ICU, Hospital Clinical Education. With a passion for teaching and mentoring, she has also served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor. Currently, Rebecca serves as an Administrative Nursing Supervisor at Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Rebecca holds a Master's degree in Nursing Education and is part of the inaugural class of the 2025 Doctor of Nursing Education program at The Ohio State University.
Recently, Rebecca pursued additional education in Biomedical Visualization from the University of Glasgow, where she gained valuable insights into the intersection of healthcare and technology. She also completed a Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Certificate program from Massachusetts Institute of Technology XPRO. With her diverse background, advanced education, and unwavering dedication to understanding the intersection of healthcare and technology, Rebecca continues to make significant contributions to the field of nursing and healthcare education.
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Designing the Future: Applications of 3D Modeling
May 01, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (ET)
Webinar Overview
This webinar, which is part of the GNSA’s nursing innovation series, will provide an overview of 3D modeling including some examples of where it can be used within healthcare. The speaker will also explore programs you can use for 3D modeling and provide the audience with some examples for use of 3D modeling. Leave the webinar with a tip sheet with instructions for creating a box in Tinkercad and a list of programs and suggested resources for 3D modeling.
Objectives
- Describe 3D modeling and its uses.
- Compare use of 3D models in creating physical products as well as digital assets.
This Webinar is hosted by the Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA). For more information on the GNSA, visit www.aacnnursing.org/GNSA.
Speakers
Speakers
Rebecca Dodmead, MSN, RN
Administrative Nursing Supervisor
Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital
Rebecca Dodmead is a dedicated nurse with over 17 years of experience in various healthcare settings. Rebecca's journey in nursing has taken her through the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Room, Med-Surg, Telemetry, ICU, Hospital Clinical Education. With a passion for teaching and mentoring, she has also served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor. Currently, Rebecca serves as an Administrative Nursing Supervisor at Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Rebecca holds a Master's degree in Nursing Education and is part of the inaugural class of the 2025 Doctor of Nursing Education program at The Ohio State University.
Recently, Rebecca pursued additional education in Biomedical Visualization from the University of Glasgow, where she gained valuable insights into the intersection of healthcare and technology. She also completed a Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Certificate program from Massachusetts Institute of Technology XPRO. With her diverse background, advanced education, and unwavering dedication to understanding the intersection of healthcare and technology, Rebecca continues to make significant contributions to the field of nursing and healthcare education.