Healthcare simulation is a way to improve the safety and quality of healthcare by practising real-life clinical situations. It's used for training, assessment, and improving how healthcare systems work.
Interprofessional simulation allows healthcare providers to learn, rehearse, and practice safely together.
Simulation also provides an environment to:
- assist medical device development
- test procedures and protocols
- support quality improvement and research activities
- investigate incidents
In addition to being used for education and training, simulation can also be used to examine work practices and processes. This can identify errors made by healthcare professionals and hidden or latent patient safety threats. This approach can also help to determine where teams have adopted earlier safety recommendations within certain clinical scenarios and pathways (Brazil and Reedy, 2024).
Using simulation in this way to directly improve patient safety and quality of care requires a newer approach that is:
- closely aligned with quality improvement and patient safety methodologies
- incorporates human factors, design thinking, change management and complex adaptive system thinking
It is often referred to as ‘translational simulation’.
National Simulation Office (NSO) purpose
The NSO role is to set direction, enable collaboration, and strengthen partnerships to embed interprofessional healthcare simulation across the regions. Its aim is to translate the benefits of shared learning into measurable improvement, positive change, and enhanced patient safety in healthcare settings throughout Ireland.
Learn about our vision, mission, and background in our NSO Strategic Plan (2025-2028) (PDF, 4.4 MB, 32 pages).
See also: NSO resources.