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IPSSW 2024 Pediatric Simulation Conference Shows The Way

IPSSW 2024 Pediatric Simulation Conference Shows The Way

The International Pediatric Simulation Society IPSSW opened with a number of delegates and over 200 attendees from around the world. IPSSW is held this year at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Denver, Colorado. IPSSW this year runs from May 7th-9th and Erin Carn-Bennett from HealthySimulation.com is here to provide coverage of this highly specialized pediatric simulation event.IPSSW is an incredible opportunity for those involved in pediatric simulation across the globe to network with and gain skills from world leaders in this field as well as develop friendships, connections and career opportunities.

Day One of IPSSW Sets the Scene

With three days of network events, expert presentation lectures and workshops, exhibitor demonstrations and simulation center tours the USA based healthcare simulation conference is already off to an incredible start. As a proud media sponsor, HealthySimulation.com is honored to capture some of the magic in this article. The buzz in the main hall on commencement of this symposium and workshop based conference was electric and full of excitement for the days ahead.

President of IPSS Dr Justin Jeffers opened IPSSW with recognition and thanks. These extended to the many members of IPSS who had worked together in the meeting committee in order to be able to deliver this conference. Dr Jeffers spoke about his recent promotion to Associate Professor and the number of connections and mentorship opportunities within IPSS that had assisted to enable this promotion. IPSS is incredibly excited to welcome new members and first time conference attendees. Membership to the society is what enables the accessible and equitable access to pediatric simulation resources the world over.

The opening keynote talk was by Dr Makani Purva. Professor Makani Purva is a Consultant Obstetric Anaesthetist at Hull Teaching Hospitals, UK. Prof Purva was the Founder Director of Simulation at Hull Institute of Learning and Simulation, the largest healthcare simulation center in Yorkshire. Professor Purva is Past President of Association of Simulated Practice in Healthcare in the United Kingdom (UK). She is an advisor to several healthcare simulation centers in India and is of influence to the national agenda of healthcare simulation in the country.

In her opening keynote address to IPSSW attendees Prof Purva discussed Globalization of Healthcare Simulation. Prof Purva spoke about the importance of healthcare simulation educators’ awareness of what occurs in the world broadly and to invite this into everyday interactions. As well as this awareness there should be incorporation and immersion of healthcare simulation into educational priorities outlined by governmental bodies. A number of examples have been shared from across the globe around connection from regulation and policy to educational delivery through healthcare simulation and this process overall.

Over the next three days a number of presentations and workshops are scheduled to go ahead. A number of short oral themed presentations are scheduled in the morning. For the morning workshops those scheduled include: Sim2Lead: A New Style of Healthcare Simulation to Coach Resuscitation Leadership Skills in an Immersive Scenario, See One, Do One, Teach One: Learn to Facilitate Applied Improvisational Exercises for Team Building and Strengthening Connection with Patient Families: Adding Bias Interruption to the Toolbox.


View the LEARN CE/CME Platform Webinar The International Pediatric Simulation Society (IPSS): Events, Resources and Community to learn more!


Afternoon workshops that are scheduled for day one include: Training And Assessing Communication Skills: Frameworks, Validity, And Integration of Simulation And Workplace Experiences, Ready.Sim.Go. Building a Patient and Family-Centered Simulation Program and Little Keys Open Big Doors: Scaffolding Interprofessional Learning Through “Mini Mocks”. Local Simulation Center visits in Denver are scheduled, and a happy hour is then set to close out day one.

The day two keynote is Jen Arnold, MD, MSc from Immersive Design Systems at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr Arnold is a founding director of the clinical simulation centers at Texas Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Dr Arnold has a passion for innovation and the application of healthcare simulation as an educational and patient safety tool.

Dr Arnold is a board-certified neonatologist. Dr Arnold’s unique perspective on medicine has been shaped by the various ways she has engaged with the field: as a pediatric and adult patient, cancer survivor, mother, and doctor. Since 2022, Dr Arnold has served as program director for the Immersive Design Systems at Boston Children’s Hospital, the primary pediatric education hospital for Harvard Medical School. Dr Arnold also hosts the hospital’s “Boston Children’s Answers Podcast.” This talk is sure to be impactful and a crowd favorite.

On day three the closing keynote talk is presented by Kevin Ching, MD. Dr. Ching is an Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College and an Attending in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and the Medical Director of the Weill Cornell Medicine New York Presbyterian Simulation Center. As Director, Dr. Ching oversees the development and implementation of interprofessional multidisciplinary teaching programs in healthcare simulation for nurses, residents, faculty, and medical students. Dr Ching is actively engaged in clinical simulation research on the role of human factors in pediatric emergencies, procedural skills success and retention, and the effect of healthcare simulation on patient outcomes.

Why to Consider Future Attendance at IPSSW

IPSSW is one of the world’s largest gatherings dedicated exclusively to pediatric and perinatal simulation. IPSSW is able to connect clinical care leaders in the field of pediatric care experts to support and facilitate the improvement of pediatric healthcare through healthcare simulation. Attendees included all pediatric subspecialties who work in medical simulation, from novice to expert level physicians, nurses, allied health care specialists, clinical simulation experts and researchers, technicians and administrators.

The IPSSW symposium features over 150 keynote and plenary session speakers over the three days. In these sessions, in depth discussions on the role of healthcare simulation are coordinated to express ways to provide safe and effective care to sick children and infants. The focus is also to convey the continued evolution and expansion of pediatric simulation across the globe.

IPSSW provides those who attend with the opportunity to expand ideas, broaden horizons and promote excellence in education and investigative research. The conference also provides the ability to network and knowledge exchanges, hands-on workshops, roundtable sessions, special interest groups and poster presentations.

IPSS Have a Lot to Offer Anyone in Pediatric Simulation

The International Pediatric Simulation Society is a global community of pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, pediatric nurses, educators and other allied health professionals who are dedicated to improve the care of infants and children worldwide. They work to achieve this outcome through multi disciplinary, clinical simulation based education, education and research in pediatric simulation.

IPSS strives to extend the knowledge and skills that members have gained to the widest possible audience. Membership and involvement is extended to all healthcare professionals who care for children and infants, regardless of the geographic location where in practice. IPSS has become a global voice that influences worldwide childcare innovation, integration and motivation.

IPSS involves healthcare specialists from over 30 countries. The goal of the IPSS remains to promote multidisciplinary simulation in all healthcare subspecialties that treat infants and children. Further, the vision of IPSS is that children and families come to have the best healthcare opportunities possible.

The society additionally works to promote innovation for implementation and dissemination of pediatric simulation networks. Throughout these networks, and with a unique focus on pediatric and perinatal healthcare, IPSS is able to complement and enhance the efforts of other organizations. This has led the society to be able to champion solutions for resource-limited environments.

IPSS holds the annual IPSSW conference in May each year and also a virtual symposium IPSSV in November. IPSS has a number of educational and advancement opportunities within the society and hopes those who are interested in pediatric simulation will join as members and at these future events! IPSS is an incredibly friendly and inviting space for new members with many opportunities available to those who join.

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Erin Carn-Bennett Avatar
MSN, RN
Simulation Nurse Educator
Erin Carn-Bennett is a Simulation Nurse Educator for the Douglas Starship Simulation Programme in Auckland, New Zealand. Carn-Bennett has her Masters of Nursing and has an extensive nursing career within pediatric emergency and also nursing management. She is passionate about debriefing and all things simulation. Carn-Bennett is a member of the IPSS board of directors. Carn-Bennett is the lead host of the podcast Sim Nurse NZ.