AACN Statementon the Use of Simulation in Nursing Education

It has come to our attention that misinformation about AACN’s position on the use of simulation in nursing education has been circulating within our community of interest.To set the record straight, we would like to clarify that AACN does not prohibit the use of simulation in offering quality clinical learning experiences.In addition, none of AACN’s current task forces are working on statements that would curtail the use of simulation. Further, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), AACN’s autonomous accrediting arm, encourages innovative practices, including the use of simulation, so long as there are also direct-care clinical practice experiences (all experiences cannot be replaced by simulation).Some state boards of nursing regulate the number of clinical learning hours that can be completed via simulation in schools of nursing within their states. Some national certification bodies additionally require a minimum number of direct-care clinical hours for exam eligibility purposes.Please address any questions about the use of simulation to AACN’s Chief Communications Officer, Robert Rosseter, at rrosseter@aacnnursing.org.