The Scope of Hospital-Based Simulation.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare simulation
• Patient safety
• Hospital administration

Background:

• Healthcare simulation has seen significant growth.
• The scope of simulation use within acute care hospitals is not well-understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current scope and applications of healthcare simulation in acute care hospitals.
• To identify opportunities for expanding simulation use beyond traditional educational purposes.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional online survey was conducted.
• Participants were nurse executives from acute care hospitals in California.

Main Results:

• Simulation is primarily used for education (96%) in most organizations.
• A smaller percentage utilize simulation for health system integration (37%), systems testing (37%), error investigation (30%), research (15%), and patient/family education (15%).

Conclusions:

• Hospitals can significantly expand simulation use beyond education.
• Integrating simulation into systems, clinical testing, and translational activities can enhance patient safety and quality.
• Increased simulation scope can improve financial performance and optimize resource utilization.