Teresa Britt, MSN, RN, interim co-director and director of education of the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has earned the international Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator-Advanced™ (CHSE-A™) certification. Britt joins the ranks of only 88 individuals worldwide who have achieved this distinction.
Awarded by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), the CHSE-A covers simulation design, function, modality, and simulation teaching practices. This certification distinguishes those who have proven themselves to be advanced educators and leaders who impact and influence the field of healthcare simulation. CHSE-As® are highly skilled in developing and integrating individual simulation activities into the larger continuum of learning.
“Achieving the CHSE-A credential has been a goal of mine for several years,” Britt said. “This credential represents an extensive portfolio, including publications, presentations and a focused comprehensive project implementing simulation best practice standards. I am honored to join this group of international simulation experts.”
Britt has been a nurse since 1977, in nursing education since 1982, and specifically in clinical simulation development since 1998. She was one of the founding members for the Tennessee Simulation Alliance, served as past President and is currently a board member of this organization. Teresa was selected by the National League for Nursing as a Simulation Leader in 2016, an honor which has provided her with opportunities to collaborate with Simulation Leaders from across the nation. Teresa was a member of the International Nursing Association and Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) group that updated the simulation standards of best practice. She also serves as a simulation site accreditation reviewer for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
Cindy Russell, PhD, interim vice chancellor said, “Teresa realized the important benefits of clinical simulation long before most health care educators heard the term. Her recent certification from the SSH as a CHSE-A provides external recognition of her amazing skills and accomplishments that she has consistently demonstrated over almost 3 decades of work in clinical simulation.”
As the interim co-director of CHIPS and the Center’s director of education, Britt currently oversees the development of all clinical simulations. She facilitates simulation development activities and serves as a mentor for simulation implementation. She recently created the Simulation Medallion curriculum in collaboration with UTHSC’s Teaching and Learning Center and is working with the CHIPS Team to create simulation professional development online modules. Britt’s interests are in faculty development, patient safety and simulation for replacement of traditional clinical training.