Meet the People Behind the Clinical Resource & Simulation Center
This week, September 14–18, is Healthcare Simulation Week, an annual celebration recognizing the people and programs using simulation to strengthen healthcare education, improve teamwork and prepare future healthcare professionals for real-world practice.
At UND’s Clinical Resource & Simulation Center (CRSC), located on the first floor of the UND College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines, students in nursing, nutrition & dietetics, social work and graduate-level programs have opportunities to practice and apply what they’re learning in a safe, hands-on environment.
The CRSC houses low-, medium- and high-fidelity manikins that can simulate a wide range of clinical situations, from an infant struggling to breathe to a mother giving birth or an adult experiencing a heart attack. The center also includes skills lab spaces where students can practice technical skills and build confidence.
Students can experience realistic scenarios involving emergency response, substance use withdrawal and other situations they may encounter in their professional careers. These experiences allow students to practice, make mistakes, ask questions and learn from each scenario before they encounter similar situations in clinical practice.
But simulation is about more than the technology and equipment. It’s the people who design learning experiences, support faculty, prepare equipment and spaces, and help students get the most from every simulation.
The CRSC team brings a variety of backgrounds and expertise to that work. For some, simulation was a planned career path. For others, as this year’s Healthcare Simulation Week theme, “Sim Found Me,” suggests, it was an unexpected turn that brought them to the field.
Meet the people behind Simulation at the CNPD
Ellen Steidl
Director of Simulation Development
Ellen has been part of UND for nine years. Her advice to nursing students is to approach every clinical experience with an open mind and say yes to learning opportunities.
Even when students find themselves in a clinical area they aren’t excited about, Ellen encourages them to get involved, ask questions and make the most of the experience. They may discover an area they didn’t know they needed.
A Greater Grand Forks native, Ellen enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, two daughters and their fur-baby. Her family enjoys gardening, golfing, fishing, swimming and boating. In the winter, she turns to puzzles and crafting.
And perhaps nursing really was in the cards: Ellen shares a birthday with Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
Nancy Geske-Larson
CRSC Simulation Manager
Nancy is celebrating 15 years at UND this fall. Her path to simulation began in the operating room, where she also served as a student preceptor. She was drawn to the opportunity to work with more students while staying in healthcare and using emerging technology.
Today, no two days are the same. Nancy manages the CRSC schedule, supports faculty, troubleshoots equipment, orders supplies, works with budgets and helps keep the center running smoothly.
What she loves most is watching students grow from their first simulation to their last. “Their excitement for learning new things is contagious!”
Outside of work, Nancy and her family raise and show a small herd of registered dairy cattle at fairs and shows throughout the Upper Midwest.
Paula Reitz
Simulation Operations Specialist
Paula helps support the day-to-day operations of the CRSC, helping ensure simulation spaces, equipment and resources are ready for students and faculty.
Cyndee Leppke
Administrative Secretary
Cyndee provides administrative support for the CRSC, helping keep the many details behind the center’s daily operations organized and moving forward.
Bringing future healthcare professionals together
At UND, this special week culminates on Friday, Sept. 18, with Interprofessional Healthcare (IPH) Day. Students from the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines (CNPD) join students from the School of Medicine & Health Sciences in an interprofessional learning experience for students across UND’s health professions.
Nearly 300 students from multiple health professions programs, including pharmacy students from North Dakota State University in Fargo, come together for a day of simulation, case-based learning and collaborative problem-solving.
IPH Day emphasizes the importance of teamwork, communication and coordinated care, while helping future providers develop the skills needed to work effectively in interprofessional healthcare teams.
Healthcare rarely happens in isolation, and neither should healthcare education. Experiences like IPH Day bring students from different disciplines together to practice working as a team while developing the communication and collaboration skills essential to coordinated patient care.
This Healthcare Simulation Week, we’re celebrating the people behind the CRSC and the students who bring these experiences to life. Through simulation, they’re learning to navigate challenging situations, work as a team and build the confidence and skills they’ll carry into their future careers.
