Stephanie J. Sims

Stephanie Sims, MSN, RN, CHSE Stephanie Sims is a simulation faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington School of Nursing, where she teaches Adult Health and coordinates clinical experiences for the prelicensure nursing program. She has been a simulation educator since 2016 and earned her Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) credential in 2021.

Ms. Sims is a member of the Simulation Innovators, Movers, and Shakers (SIMS) Team, dedicated to advancing simulation across the School of Nursing and the broader health sciences campus. She began her simulation career with the Coastal Carolinas Health Alliance Mobile Simulation Program, where she developed continuing education for healthcare professionals.

Her scholarly contributions include poster and podium presentations at INACSL and local conferences, as well as a co-authored manuscript on interprofessional simulation involving nursing and athletic training students.

Ms. Sims serves on multiple committees at UNCW, including the Simulation Committee, Simulation Accreditation Committee, Interprofessional Advisory Council, and Innovation Advisory Council. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Sigma Theta Tau’s Nu Omega Chapter as Membership Ambassador.

With a passion for experiential learning, Ms. Sims collaborates with faculty and staff to enrich student outcomes through simulation-based education and interprofessional engagement.

Education

B.S. in Nursing, Liberty University, B.S. in Psychology, Liberty University, M.S in Nursing with a consentration in Education, Liberty University

Research Interests

Her simulation interests focus on enhancing learning outcomes for prelicensure students in the academic setting, with a particular emphasis on clinical judgment, communication, and patient-centered care.

She is deeply committed to advancing interprofessional education (IPE) through collaborative simulation experiences that bring together nursing and other health disciplines to foster teamwork and shared decision-making. Her work also includes developing and facilitating simulation scenarios that address end-of-life and palliative care, helping students build empathy, therapeutic communication skills, and confidence in navigating complex emotional and ethical situations.

Ms. Sims leverages simulation as a transformative tool to prepare future nurses for real-world challenges, ensuring they enter clinical practice with competence and compassion. Her approach blends evidence-based standards with innovative design, and she actively contributes to faculty development initiatives that support best practices in simulation pedagogy.