NETWORKING

The Simulation Innovation Resource Center (SIRC) is now available at http://sirc.nln.org/
This new website is an online e-learning site where nursing faculty can learn how to develop and integrate simulation into their curriculum, and engage in dialogue with experts and peers. There are online courses available as well as other resources.

The American Nephrology Nurses' Association is seeking authors for its journal Nephrology Nursing Journal. Their members practice in chronic kidney disease, dialysis (hemo, peritoneal, CRRT), and transplantation in a wide variety of roles - clinical, administration, industry, consulting, etc. Our members'/readers' practice clearly encompasses transplant and this would be a nice opportunity to write about the usefulness of simulation in the nursing care of recipients or donors of transplants. We would also be interested in simulation in dialysis (hemo or peritoneal), CRRT/CVVH, or any renal replacement therapies.

The journal is happy to work with first time authors as well as experienced authors. An article could take on a variety of approaches. It could be a full length article, a CNE article, or an article that would go into one of our departments. For example, we have a "case study" department and it might be interesting to describe how simulation was used to problem solve a particular clinical challenge. We have a "professional issues" column that could address the role of simulation in clinical practice beyond student years. You can see the departments and articles at their website, http://nephrologynursing.net/

For more information please contact: Karen C. Robbins, MS,RN,CNN
Associate Editor, Nephrology Nursing Journal, Journal of the American Nephrology Nurses' Association at kcr_nnj@yahoo.com

Other Simulation websites:
Bay Area Simulation Collaborative (BASC) - www.bayareanrc.org/rsc
Laerdal Simulation Users Network - http://simulation.laerdal.com/

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare
A new society, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), was established in January 2004 to represent the rapidly growing group of educators and researchers who utilize a variety of simulation techniques for education, testing, and research in health care. The membership, now over 1,500, is united by its desire to improve performance and reduce errors in patient care using all types of simulation including task trainers, human patient simulators, virtual reality, and standardized patients.

We are a broad-based, multi-disciplinary, multi-specialty, international society with ties to all medical specialties, nursing, allied health paramedical personnel, and industry. For more information go to: http://www.ssih.org

ASPE - http://www.aspeducators.org/index.htm
ASPE (Association for Standardized Patient Educators) is the international organization for professionals in the field of Standardized patient methodology.
ASPE is dedicated to:

• Professional growth and development of its members
• Advancement of SP research and related scholarly activites
• Setting standards of practice
• Fostering patient centered care

Simulation preparation programs:
The Center for Medical Simulation and Harvard Medical School Simulation Program http://harvardmedsim.org
The University of Miami International Academy for Clinical Simulation and Research http://academy.sonhs.miami.edu
 

Electronic Listservs:

Nursing Learning Resource Center (NurseLRC)* Mailing List
This moderated list lets nursing Learning Resource Center faculty and staff share information about psychomotor skill acquisition, equipment care and maintenance, instructional strategies, computers and audiovisual resources, and funding sources. To subscribe:

1. Send email to listserv@lists.douglas.bc.ca
2. Leave subject blank
3. In the body of the message type, subscribe nurselrc First Name Last Name. Subscriber needs to replace the above with their first name last name

Standardized Patient Trainers Mailing List
SP-Trainer is a listproc mailing list for trainers and other people involved in the use of Standardized Patients. Discussion includes topics such as: training for physical simulations, training techniques and issues, case development and sharing, and program development. For information and to sign on: http://depts.washington.edu/hsas/Clinical/list.html

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - http://www.ahrq.gov/
Website includes clinical information re. Evidence based practice, Outcomes and Effectiveness, Preventative Services, Funding Opportunities, Research Findings, Data and Surveys, Quality and Patient Safety, and Consumer and Patient information.