The Sim Cafe~

Hosted by Deb Tauber

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Episodes

176

Latest episode

Sep 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Discussions on innovative ideas for simulation and reimagining the use of simulation in clinical education. We discuss current trends in simulation with amazing guests from across the globe. Sit back, grab your favorite beverage and tune in to The Sim Cafe~

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60 recent

September 15, 2026Episode 12624 min

Dr. Adrienne Wilk- If Learners Do Not Feel Safe They Cannot Learn

Send us Fan Mail Learners don’t fail in simulation because the mannequin is “too real” or the scenario is “too hard.” They shut down when they don’t feel safe. We sit down with Adrienne Wilk, CHSE, CHSOS, a nurse educator, simulation leader, and nationally recognized healthcare simulation expert, to unpack what psychological safety actually looks like in nursing simulation and clinical education, and how we can hold high standards without tearing people down. Adrienne shares her origin story as a new educator staring at empty beds and boxes of mannequin parts, then finding the mentors who helped her build a strong foundation rooted in evidence based practice. From prebriefing and shared expectations to modeling respectful communication, she explains how psychological safety supports better debriefing, stronger reflection, and ultimately better patient safety. Along the way, we talk about Debriefing for Meaningful Learning, the difference between feedback and debrief, and why communication skills are a core simulation competency. We also shift into the world of simulation center accreditation through her experience as a Society for Simulation in Healthcare site reviewer. Adrienne reframes accreditation as advocacy and mentorship, not “gotcha,” and explains how a well documented review can help programs make the case for resources, staffing, and sustainable growth. To keep it real, she brings stories from the sim lab, including a hilariously unforgettable ostomy spill and the universal truth that technology will fail at the worst time. If you’re a simulation educator, sim ops specialist, or emerging simulation leader, you’ll leave with practical ways to build trust fast and improve step by step. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can find the show. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

August 12, 2026Episode 12537 min

Dr. Marie Gilbert A Leap of Faith Into Healthcare Simulation

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Dr. Marie Gilbert about the leaps, pivots, and partnerships that turned a pediatric ICU nurse educator into a healthcare simulation leader. We also dig into mentorship, the SSH Ascend program, and why competency-based education needs simulation that measures more than technical skill. • moving from England to Fresno and finding an unexpected long-term home • seeing early sedation simulations and realizing why safety and realism matter • building simulation programs without perfect funding through creative collaboration • growing through SSH leadership and shaping the Ascend mentorship model • designing Ascend to be accessible with no fee and global participation • connecting competency-based education to technical, cognitive, and human performance • planning the IMSH 2027 consensus forum to define simulation as foundational in CBE Visit us at www.innovative simsolutions.com. And be sure to hit that like and subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

May 19, 2026Episode 12425 min

Who Gets To Lead In Clinical Simulation with Cheryl Camacho & Dawn Swiderski

Send us Fan Mail Leadership in healthcare simulation doesn’t always come with a title or a roadmap. One day you’re an educator or clinician, and the next day you’re responsible for staffing, budgets, accreditation prep, outcomes, and the long list of “Can you also…?” requests that land on a simulation program. We sit down with two leaders who have lived that reality and built thriving programs anyway: Dawn Swiderski, Associate Vice President of Simulation Services at the Carolina Simulation Center at Atrium Health (now Advocate Health), and Cheryl Camacho, Director of Simulation and Outreach at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We dig into the shift from the SSH Directors Section to the Simulation Program Leadership Section and why that change is more than a rebrand. It’s a move toward inclusion for people leading without the “director” label, whether you’re new to simulation, stepping into management unexpectedly, or guiding a program through influence instead of authority. Dawn and Cheryl share how they listen to member feedback and turn it into practical support that actually matches what leaders need in the moment. You’ll also get a clear tour of what’s available through SimConnect: quarterly webinars, section meetings, and the highly popular couch conversations where members bring burning questions like simulation ROI, accreditation, costing models, policies, staffing allocation, and how to prove value with metrics and KPIs (including examples like Power BI). We talk about the underused SimConnect library filled with templates, forms, job descriptions, and recorded sessions that help you move faster, especially if you’re tired of reinventing the wheel. If you lead any part of clinical simulation education, patient safety simulation, or simulation operations, this one is built for you. Subscribe, share it with a simulation colleague, and leave a review with the leadership topic you want tackled next. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

April 14, 2026Episode 12336 min

A Chaplain’s Guide To Healthy Grieving After Loss - Kathy Gingrich

Send us Fan Mail Grief doesn’t follow a straight line, and it doesn’t only come after a funeral. We talk with chaplain Kathy Gingrich about what grief really looks like in real life and in healthcare, starting with a tender, honest story from Deb about saying goodbye to her beloved boxer, Maggie. Together we name the parts people rarely say out loud: the anticipatory grief that starts years before a loss, the way a pet’s unconditional love changes us, and why you don’t “get over it” so much as learn to carry it differently. Kathy shares what she has learned from decades of chaplaincy, emergency care, and pastoral work: healthy grieving needs support, listening, and space to tell the story without critique. We unpack the spiritual questions that surface under stress, including guilt, unfinished words, “woulda, coulda, shoulda,” and the hard “where was God?” moments. We also discuss why popular grief stage models can be helpful but misleading when they imply a neat, linear process, and we explore deeper ways to normalize shock, anger, and disorientation while still moving toward hope. We then connect grief support to simulation training and role-play for clinicians, educators, and support staff. Practicing end-of-life conversations, learning what not to say, preparing families for what dying can look like, and offering simple comforts and meaningful keepsakes can change a worst day into a less lonely one. If you’re grieving, supporting someone who is, or you work in healthcare and want better tools for spiritual care and compassionate communication, this conversation offers grounded guidance you can actually use. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more listeners find practical, humane support for grief, loss, and healing. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

April 1, 2026Episode 12220 min

Simulation Mentorship That Matters with Jason Konzelmann

Send us Fan Mail Simulation isn’t just about cool equipment or a perfect scenario. It’s about building repeatable, trustworthy learning and assessment systems that make clinical education safer, fairer, and more effective. We sit down with Jason Conselman, Director of Simulation and Training at the University of Maryland Medical Center, to unpack how a simulation career can grow from the field to leadership, and why mentorship through programs like SSH Ascend can change what’s possible for new simulationists. We get practical about healthcare simulation standards, core competencies, and best practices, including how a multi-week course supported by major simulation organizations helps people understand accreditation, clarify goals, and connect certifications like CHSE and CHSOS to real work inside a simulation center. Then we go deeper on a topic that trips up even experienced teams: assessment. Jason explains why “everything we do is assessment,” what makes rubrics usable, how interrater reliability affects fairness, and why validity matters when simulation results influence real decisions. You’ll also hear a standout interprofessional education story that pairs physical therapists and physician assistant learners in a structured, multi-day experience focused on collaboration and discharge planning, plus a preview of SimOps 2026 in Tampa with the Ignite theme and a spotlight on simulation in non-traditional locations, from mobile units to space medicine. If you’re building a program, refining assessment, or figuring out your place in simulation operations or education, this conversation will give you language, ideas, and next steps. Subscribe, share this with a fellow simulationist, and leave a review with the most urgent assessment question you want answered next. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

March 3, 2026Episode 12125 min

Denise Romano From Classroom To Clinic: Building Physical Therapy Skills With Simulation

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a movement-first profession steps into a simulation lab built for physiology and decision-making under pressure? We sit down with Denise Romano, an assistant professor leading physical therapy simulation at Binghamton University, to unpack how PT learners can safely practice high-stakes mobility long before they enter acute care. From AFib in the ICU to COPD patients whose vitals shift during transfers, Denise maps out realistic scenarios that force students to balance safety, lines and tubes, and evolving clinical data while communicating clearly as a team. We walk through a full landscape of PT-focused simulations: early infection control adapted from nursing with Glow Germ, mobility checkoffs in hospital-like spaces, ventilator cases requiring careful progression, and standardized patient interviews for differential diagnosis. Denise explains why PT relies heavily on SPs for authentic movement, where mannequins still shine for physiologic fidelity, and how thoughtful debriefs convert messy moments into durable clinical judgment. Her use of entrustability scales tied to EPAs gives faculty a shared framework to chart each learner’s path from novice to entry-ready clinician, with formative feedback that guides safer practice. The conversation also tackles the big barrier: unlike nursing, PT lacks the large-scale evidence to replace a portion of clinical hours with simulation. Denise makes a compelling case for a multi-site study to unlock that recognition, particularly as acute care placements tighten and risk tolerance narrows. She also shares a favorite classroom memory that turned a tangled SCD mistake into a lifelong safety cue, highlighting why simulated missteps are often the most memorable teachers. If you care about physical therapy education, clinical placements, competency assessment, or the future of healthcare simulation, you’ll leave with concrete ideas and renewed urgency to give PT a stronger seat at the table. Subscribe for more conversations on simulation, clinical education, and the skills that move patient care forward. Share your thoughts, leave a review, and tell us which PT competencies you think simulation should tackle next. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

February 17, 2026Episode 12024 min

Remy Roe - How One Medic Turned Trauma Into Training That Saves Lives

Send us Fan Mail We trace Remy Roe’s journey from combat medic to simulation leader and researcher, exploring how trauma, mentorship, and mission shaped a career devoted to equity and authentic training. We share practical ways to build relationships, reduce hierarchy, and design scenarios that change outcomes. • military roots and simulation origin • mentors pushing ideas into action • minority stress theory and equity lens • authentic patient representation in scenarios • relationships over hierarchy in sim teams • mass casualty experience driving purpose • building a burn task trainer and new course • privilege, access, and responsibility in training • community, committees, and finding your tribe Visit us at www.innovativesimsolutions.com Be sure to hit that like and subscribe button so you never miss an episode Innovative Sim Solutions is your one stop shop for your simulation needs A turnkey solution Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

February 10, 2026Episode 11917 min

Sarah Beebe is Rethinking Blame: Using Simulation To Heal Teams And Improve Care

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful fix for a bad clinical outcome isn’t another skills refresher, but a simulation that tests your actual system under real constraints? We sit down with Dr. Sarah Beebe—nurse midwife, educator, and founder of 2Bs Consulting—to unpack how translational simulation turns training into measurable change. From a teen birth scenario that ignited curiosity and clarity to a clinic code that exposed equipment gaps and role confusion, Sarah shows how reenacting real cases can reveal the truth that root cause summaries often miss. We dig into the nuts and bolts: moving beyond individual blame to examine carts, defibrillators, room layout, staffing, and communication flows. Sarah explains why language matters, how psychological safety unlocks honest reflection, and what “good” debriefing looks like when the goal is system redesign. Then we zoom out to strategy. Hospitals already track length of stay, sepsis bundle compliance, code frequency, and time-to-shock—so use that data to script scenarios. When dashboards drive training, simulation aligns with current risks, and teams can watch metrics improve as workflows are fixed, roles are clarified, and equipment is streamlined. AI is changing the game, too. We explore practical, near-term uses: generating scenario variants that match caseload trends, creating virtual standardized patients, and supporting debriefs with timing and communication analytics. Sarah’s research in screen-based simulation highlights how digital tools can assess diagnostic reasoning at scale, while preserving the facilitator’s judgment at the bedside. The throughline is clear: treat simulation as continuous quality improvement—measure, simulate, fix, remeasure—and watch confidence return after tough events. If you care about safer care, faster recognition, and teams that trust their processes, this conversation offers a roadmap you can start using today. Subscribe, share with your quality and education leads, and leave a review with one question you want simulation to answer next. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

February 3, 2026Episode 11823 min

Human Touch In Simulation with Jennifer McCarthy

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful clinical tool isn’t a device or an algorithm, but a moment of genuine connection? We sit down with Jen McCarthy, director of clinical simulation at Seton Hall University and a newly inducted Fellow of SSH, to unpack a humanistic approach to simulation that treats empathy as a vital sign. Drawing on years as a hospital-based paramedic and a leader in health professions education, Jen explains why trust and listening still drive the most accurate data collection, clearer decisions, and safer plans of care. Together, we map out how to build scenarios that reveal the person behind the diagnosis. You’ll hear how standardized patients and family members are woven into mannequin-based cases to surface caregiver fatigue, access barriers, and real-world constraints. Instead of scripted disclosures, trained actors drop authentic cues that invite learners to ask better questions and co-create plans that work. We also get practical about assessment: a shared SP feedback tool across programs aligns expectations for empathy, clarity, and shared decision making, while structured personal inventories help learners recognize bias, discomfort, and growth edges before they reach clinical rotations. We also tackle the buzz around AI. Yes, AI can accelerate chart reviews and highlight patterns, but it can’t deliver the 40 seconds of compassion that research links to improved outcomes and clinician resilience. That’s where simulation shines—by providing a safe place to practice tone, language, presence, and mindful listening until they become second nature. If you design sims, teach at the bedside, or support interprofessional teams, this conversation offers a practical blueprint for moving from experiential to transformational learning—where empathy isn’t an afterthought but the engine of clinical excellence. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review telling us how you’re building humanistic skills into your simulations. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

January 6, 2026Episode 11724 min

From Engineer To CEO, Lou Faustini: Building Better Healthcare Simulation

Send us Fan Mail ,What if simulation felt less like a gadget showcase and more like a mission built around patient safety? We sit down with EMS CEO Lou Faustini to explore how engineered learning environments, clear data, and a people-first culture can transform clinical training from first exposure to real practice. Lou’s journey—from systems integration and Six Sigma to the helm of a simulation company—shapes a pragmatic approach to innovation: empower teams, listen to educators, and ship improvements that reduce friction in busy centers. We dig into what EMS actually builds: integrated software and hardware that turn sim centers into reliable, high-impact training spaces. Lou connects the dots between flight simulators and clinical readiness, reminding us that safety is the ultimate outcome. Instead of chasing trends, he breaks down how AI can enhance scheduling, assessment, and debriefing by making performance data more usable for faculty and learners. The human remains in charge; AI simply accelerates insight and consistency. The conversation maps the broader learning journey, where AR and VR have earned a real slice of training, and where interoperability matters as much as any single tool. Lou shares why small, practical wins—like lowering power consumption and simplifying interfaces—can deliver outsized value when educators are stretched thin. His growth priorities are refreshingly direct: meet programs where they are, be honest about capabilities, design for scale, and prove impact through data. That clarity fosters trust across institutions, partners, and the wider public safety mission. If you care about simulation that actually changes outcomes, this episode offers a grounded playbook: empower people, harness data, and engineer for reliability. Subscribe, share with a colleague who runs a sim center, and leave a review with your biggest simulation challenge so we can tackle it next. Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.