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Jayne Smitten (second from right) with fellow participants from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare summit in Washington, D.C.
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Left to Right: KT Waxman, Jennifer Arnold, Jayne Smitten, Jared Kutzin in Washington D.C .
HPU Professor of Public Health and Simulationist Jayne Smitten, Ph.D., MEd, CHSE-A, FSSH, a globally recognized expert in healthcare simulation, recently represented both HPU and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) at a national summit hosted by Johns Hopkins University at the Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.
The two-day summit brought together visionaries in healthcare education for a first-of-its-kind summit titled: “Shaping the Future of the Healthcare Workforce: Policy and Best Practice Recommendations for the Use of Simulation for Healthcare Education.” The objective of the summit was supported through the John Hopkins University Nexus Awards, which fosters collaboration across disciplines to address critical challenges.
From left: Geoffrey Miller, Jayne Smitten, and Kristen Brown at the Society for Simulation in Healthcare summit, held in Washington, D.C.
John Hopkins University faculty members Kristen Brown, DNP, RN, and Geoffrey Miller, Ph.D., created and hosted the event, along with a select group of exemplary leaders and leaders in nursing, medicine, and simulation education. Smitten was joined by an assembly of experts in their field that included policymakers, government officials, and Congressional staffers to ensure the summit was invaluable.
“I was thrilled to be part of this collaborative group of thought leaders convened at John Hopkins University,” said Smitten. “The creation of a refreshed vision of healthcare simulation education, to address innovative approaches to the healthcare workforce development, readiness, and sustainment for our future, was the focus of this invaluable meeting.”
Together, participants examined current gaps in healthcare education and outlined innovative simulation-based strategies to address the nation’s growing healthcare workforce shortages. The summit culminated in the formation of a consensus-based policy roadmap with actionable recommendations, signaling a united call for federal investment and long-term support for simulation-integrated healthcare education.
Smitten has held academic leadership roles in the U.S., Canada, and Qatar, and is no stranger to innovation or advocacy. As a 2024 past president and Fellow of SSH, and one of the first in the world to earn the designation of Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator – Advanced (CHSE-A), she continues to bring collaborative leadership to research, policy, and strategic planning at both local and international levels.
“The outcome will be a consensus conclusion with recommendations for policies and best practices—generated from the rich discussions and insights shared by so many diverse leaders in healthcare education and simulation,” said Smitten. “The future use of healthcare simulation—to advance pre-licensure education, ease the transition to practice, and support continuing education—is only beginning to show its potential. We are just scratching the surface of what it can do for the healthcare workforce.”
