Healthcare Simulation & Patient Safety

Both the Diploma and Masters' courses in Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety are on-line/distance learning courses designed to accommodate the busy healthcare provider or simulation centre team member. Healthcare simulation is the modern way to educate healthcare providers to achieve high performance and to improve patient safety. It encompasses manikin based training for teamworking, task trainers for procedural skills, simulated persons for communication skills and virtual /augmented reality.

By completing the Diploma, you will learn how to use simulation in your own practice to deliver better safer healthcare. You will also learn how to use healthcare simulation for quality improvement, systems and process testing and for facilities planning. By completing the Masters programme you will go on to understand how to use simulation for research and how it can support research.

If you are a healthcare provider, involved in healthcare education and research or have an interest in patient safety, then this course will be important for you. A qualification in Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety will help you to achieve your career goals in healthcare and simulation.

Who’s Suited to This Course
If you are a doctor, nurse, allied health professional (e.g. speech and language, pharmacy, physiotherapy), paramedic or dentist and have an interest in simulation technology, you should consider applying for one of our simulation courses. If you work in a simulation centre as a technician, manager or director and are keen to develop your expertise and progress your career then you should consider applying for a course.

Both the Diploma and the Masters are online/distance learning courses supported by two intensive immersive face-to-face two-day simulation based education workshops in The Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation in University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland

PDip Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety

The course will be delivered in six sequential modules during the academic year.

Module 1. An introduction to simulation and training in healthcare.
Module 2. Simulation with manikin and task based trainers.
Module 3. Standardised patients, virtual patients, and hybrid simulation.
Module 4. Running an effective simulation-based education programme.
Module 5. Human factors and patient safety in simulation.
Module 6. Uses of medical and healthcare simulation beyond education

MSc Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety
Modules 1 to 6 will be delivered during the first academic year. Modules 7 and 8 will be delivered during the second academic year of study.
Module 1. An introduction to simulation and training in healthcare.
Module 2. Simulation with manikin and task based trainers.
Module 3. Standardised patients, virtual patients, and hybrid simulation.
Module 4. Running an effective simulation-based education programme.
Module 5. Human factors and patient safety in simulation.
Module 6. Uses of medical and healthcare simulation beyond education
Module 7. Research Methods for Medical and Healthcare Simulation.
Module 8. Research Thesis.

An honours bachelor degree at NFQ Level 8 in a relevant healthcare discipline (e.g., medicine, nursing, speech and language therapy, pharmacy), although applicants with evidence of at least three years’ equivalent professional/academic experience will be considered (e.g., emergency medicine technicians, simulation technicians).
A demonstrated proficiency in English.
Previous experience, or an academic qualification, in the education and teaching of healthcare professionals.
A demonstrated interest in simulation.

Closing Date
Please view the offer rounds website at https://www.universityofgalway.ie/postgrad-admissions/key-dates/

Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System

MSc—24 months; PDipSc—12 months

Next start date September 2024. Please note places are limited and will be assessed and awarded on merit.
Closing Date: Offers are made on a rolling basis.

Career Opportunities
The main goal of the course is to develop expertise in design and implementation of healthcare simulation. This will allow you to become a leader in education and open up opportunities in senior academic posts within healthcare. For those with an interest in patient safety, you will gain expertise in human factors and how healthcare processes can be improved. If running a simulation centre, you will develop skills in stakeholder engagement and demonstrate a return on investment allowing you to progress to senior management positions within organisations.