An approach to simulation program development

Simulation education is becoming increasingly popular. Many institutions and programs find themselves in a situation where they have an identified need for the simulation education but few resources to reference. Most programs purchase first and ask questions later, leaving faculty with equipment with which they are unfamiliar and few, if any, resources to contact. Developing a simulation program involves more steps than one would think. Developing a vision and business plan are paramount. Only with a well-developed business plan will decision maker buy-in occur. Consideration must also be given to facility construction or renovation, equipment purchase, faculty development and training, and most important, curriculum development. These steps are not intuitive. This article describes these steps in a concise and manageable way and is intended to serve as a template that hopefully will increase the likelihood of developing successful and efficient simulation education programs.