Integrating Simulation-Based Exercises into Public Health Emergency Management Curricula

• Published in: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness 2019-08, Vol.13 (4), p.777-781
• Main Authors: Sanchez Cristal, Natasha, Metcalf, Noel, Kreisberg, Debra, Little, Charles M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 21st century; Civil Defense - education; Civil Defense - methods; Classrooms; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Colorado; Community colleges; Concepts in Disaster Medicine; Core competencies; Core curriculum; Cost analysis; Decision making; Disaster management; Disasters; Education, Public Health Professional - methods; Education, Public Health Professional - trends; Emergency medical care; Emergency preparedness; Humans; Instructional design; Knowledge; National security; Problem solving; Professionals; Public health; Public Health Administration - education; Public Health Administration - methods; Public health education; Public Health Practice; School environment; Simulation; Simulation Training - methods; Simulation Training - trends; Skills; Surveys and Questionnaires; Training; Workforce
• ISSN: 1935-7893; 1938-744X
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2018.137

The aim of this study is to enrich public health emergency management (PHEM) curricula and increase the workforce readiness of graduates through the implementation of an innovative curriculum structure centered around simulation and the creation of authentic learning experiences into a mastery-based Disaster Preparedness graduate certificate program launched in 2016 at the Colorado School of Public Health. Learners progress through a sequence of increasingly complex discussion and operations-based exercises designed to align with training methodologies used by future employers in the disaster response field, covering PHEM fundamentals and domestic and international disaster preparedness and response. Preliminary feedback is overwhelmingly positive, equating the experience to securing an internship. Embedding simulation-based exercises and authentic learning environments into graduate curricula exposes learners to diverse disaster scenarios, provides occasion for practicing critical thinking and dynamic problem solving, increases familiarity with anticipated emergency situations, and builds the confidence necessary for exercising judgment in a real-world situation. This novel curriculum should serve as a model for graduate programs wishing to enrich traditional training tactics using a typical school of public health support and alignment with community resources. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:777–781)