June 15, 2022By Lance Baily

Sentinel U Launches Virtual Simulation Advanced Practice Series to Help Learners Hone Skills

As the use of virtual simulation expands across healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and other learner-focused environments, new solutions are being developed to meet increased demand. As such, Sentinel U, a provider of web-based simulation education technology solutions for nursing schools, hospital systems, and healthcare professionals, has recently announced the company’s newest virtual simulation, Advanced Practice Series. This solution has been designed specifically for advanced practice learners, the new simulation series’ authentic virtual encounters enable nurse practitioners, physician assistants/associates (PA), and medical students to hone clinical judgment and decision-making skills.

These skills are necessary when making accurate diagnoses and establishing proper plans of care. Available for purchase in Fall 2022, the robust virtual simulation series offers 55 unique patient encounters within 11 specialty areas, including typical and complex adult and pediatric care, women’s health, mental health, cardiology, oncology, and gerontology. Each clinical area includes five patients with genuine healthcare simulation scenarios created by advanced practice subject matter experts and exposes learners to ICD, CPT, and HCPCS coding for billing consideration. Module topics include:

  • Typical Adult Encounters
  • Complex Adult Encounters
  • Adult Mental Health Encounters
  • Pediatric Mental Health Encounters
  • Typical Pediatric Encounters
  • Complex Pediatric Encounters
  • Cardiac Encounters
  • Oncology Encounters
  • Gerontology Encounters
  • Women’s Health GYN Encounters
  • Women’s Health OB Encounters

“We are excited to expand the depth and breadth of our virtual simulations and clinical experiences to now include simulations specifically for the advanced practice market,” said Jeffrey Caplan, president of Sentinel U. “This new simulation series can be used after the required 720 hours to meet clinical hours, allowing learners to practice and refine essential diagnostic and core competencies.”


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This product can also be used to enhance classroom content or after the requisite clinical hours. While some programs may not use the simulations for clinical hours after the required amount, the cases can also be used to enhance classroom and didactic content. It is not merely a clinical replacement.

With such features, the Advanced Practice Series provides learners with an authentic and immersive real-world experience. Each module introduces a diverse patient population from a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds exhibiting common complaints in various clinical areas. Educators can fill gaps left by clinical preceptor demand and limited practice sites, and ensure your learners are exposed to commonly found encounters prior to facing them in a real-world environment.

  • Advance through the clinical encounter while reviewing the patient inquiry, H&P, and review of systems (ROS) within the EHR.
  • Identify differential diagnoses and order corresponding diagnostics.
  • Develop a comprehensive plan of care
  • Select appropriate billing codes
  • Includes faculty guide, feedback and rationales, and a dashboard with an evaluative report, as well as a learner dashboard.

“The Advanced Practice Series offers engaging patient scenarios designed to ensure that learners are thoroughly prepared for any situation they may encounter in practice,” said Sentinel U Vice President of Clinical Learning Resources Laura Gonzalez, Ph.D., APRN, CNE, CHSE-A, ANEF, FAAN. “Just like our products created for nursing students, we tapped the knowledge of highly respected working professionals to help us develop this new virtual simulation series.”


Recorded HealthySimulation.com Sentinel U Webinar:
The Rapid Acceleration of Virtual Simulation in Nursing Education


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Presented by Laura Gonzalez Ph.D., APRN, CNE, CHSE-A, ANEF, FAAN, this informative and educational beginner CE webinar explores the pandemic’s continued impact on instruction, and how virtual simulation will continue to play an important role in nursing education for years to come.


With genuine scenarios created by subject matter experts, learners will advance through each clinical encounter while reviewing the patient inquiry, history, and physical (H&P) examination, and review of systems (ROS) within the electronic health record (EHR). Additionally, the modules reinforce knowledge of the international classification of diseases (ICD), current procedural terminology (CPT), and healthcare common procedure coding system (HCPCS) codes for billing consideration.



Additionally, the Advanced Practice Series features EMPOWER, Sentinel U’s self-led, asynchronous standardized debrief experience designed to allow learners to critically analyze their performance. EMPOWER guides learners through seven reflective steps: explore, misconceptions, practice standards, opportunities, wins, evaluate, and reflect and review. Its purpose is to arm learners with the knowledge, skills, and aptitudes to formulate sound clinical judgments in future practice situations ensuring they are competent and confident when facing an actual clinical situation.

According to Sentinel U, educators will appreciate that each module includes a faculty guide, feedback, and rationales, along with a dashboard with an evaluative report. The assignments align academically with competencies for PA professionals adopted by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), and Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA); the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) role-specific competencies; Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies; and American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials for advanced-level nursing education.

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About Sentinel U

Sentinel U is a leading provider of healthcare simulations and learning innovations for nursing learners and healthcare professionals. The company’s authentic virtual simulations and clinical experiences are the best practice in engaging learners in real-world scenarios to gain unparalleled clinical judgment and critical thinking experience. A division of American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Post University, Sentinel U is an industry leader in virtual simulation education for more than 130,000 learner experiences worldwide.

Learn More About Sentinel U’s Advance Practice Series


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