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.



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

Year 1 (60 Credits)

Required MD1501: Introduction to simulation based education

Required MD1502: Simulation with manikin and task based trainers

Required MD1503: Standardised patients, virtual patients, and hybrid simulation

Required MD1504: Human factors and patient safety in simulation

Required MD1505: Uses of medical and healthcare simulation beyond education

Required MD1506: Running an effective simulation based education programme

Year 2 (60 Credits)

Required MD2507: Research methods - medical and healthcare simulation

Required MD2508: Research thesis - medical and healthcare simulation

An honours bachelor's 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- English competency IELTS score of 6.5 or similar



Previous experience, or an academic qualification, in the education and teaching of healthcare professionals.



A demonstrated interest in simulation.

MSc—24 months; PDipSc—12 months

Next start date September 2026

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 demonstrating a return on investment allowing you to progress to senior management positions within organisations.