In 2019, Donna McDermott, PhD, RN, CHSE, traded her Steel City roots for a dream job in the Sunshine State. “I work at a beautiful state-of-the-art simulation hospital with the best team of creative, student-focused nurse specialists and simulation techs,” she says of the 5-story, 41,000-square-foot facility now known as S.H.A.R.E.™. Since arriving she has helped lead the hospital staff through an accreditation review, a global pandemic, and, this month, the launch of a branding campaign. In this Meet the Sims Q&A, McDermott discusses her abiding devotion to simulation, students, and her hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What first inspired you to pursue simulation? As a student in the master’s program at Robert Morris University (RMU), I developed a project using simulation to teach clinical educators how to guide students through difficult clinical situations. I then became a graduate assistant in simulation, and the joke was that I liked it so much, I just kept coming back until they hired me [McDermott worked at RMU for nearly a decade before joining SONHS]. I love simulation because it gives students the opportunity to practice skills and clinical judgment in a safe environment. Through simulation facilitation and debriefing, educators can see their students’ decision-making and clinical reasoning abilities.
What are your pandemic takeaways? The pandemic was a severe disruptor to nursing education. The most important part of my role was problem solver. Flexibility, willingness to try new things, and creativity were essential. Balancing the need to support our students while maintaining empathy for the fears and concerns of staff and faculty became my primary goal. I hope we can keep the momentum going and not revert to the way we always did things because it's easier or more familiar. We have an awesome opportunity to really examine teaching and learning practices and create real change.
What’s your favorite part of heading up a simulation program? I love my simulation team. They make my job fun, and I am so proud of the work we do with our students. We did an amazing job supporting our students, especially when they weren't allowed at the clinical sites during COVID-19 last summer. Our work prepares future nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse anesthetists for their roles in a safe environment and makes a difference in patient safety and patient outcomes.
What three words best describe your job? It depends on the day! Is it possible to be energizing, challenging, and rewarding at the same time?
What led you to this position? A friend of mine told me about the opening. I’m from Pittsburgh—go Steelers! It was January—and a cold and snowy winter—so I applied. I visited campus during a trip to Florida we had planned over spring break, toured, met with Dean Munro and Dr. Groom [Director of Special Projects for S.H.A.R.E.™ and Professor of Clinical] and thought, this is the place for me.
What are your other leadership roles? I am a member of the Standards Committee for the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), and this fall we will be releasing the new simulation standards of best practice. I also serve as a site reviewer for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).
What was your main focus before simulation? My nursing background is critical care and medical surgical nursing. My favorite job was working in an ICU float pool at a level 1 trauma center for 17 years. I loved going to a different unit every day and seeing a variety of patients.
What led you into health care? I always wanted to be a nurse or a teacher. I never thought about doing anything else. I feel lucky to be able to be both right now.
The pandemic has shown how important self-care is! Outside of work, how do you de-stress? I’m an avid reader—all types of books. I also love education and simulation journal articles because I’m an education geek. I like to swim and garden, and I love the beach.
Finally, what’s something you’re proud of that most people don’t know about you? On a personal level, I'm extremely proud of my family. We have been through some very difficult times, and I feel like we've not only overcome, but excelled. Professionally, I'm proud of my simulation prebriefing work and its impact on the simulation community. From the time I began in simulation, I questioned the practice of throwing students into a simulation without preparation. I focused on the best ways to prepare students for simulation learning, or “prebriefing,” with the hope of transferring those methods to the clinical practice setting. Prebriefing has been my research and teaching trajectory since day one, and I’m so happy with my growth and progress. Stay tuned for our Fall semester at S.H.A.R.E.™, when results of that work will be available for all to see.
