On any given day, you can step into the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies’ S.H.A.R.E. Simulation Hospital Advancing Research & Education® and be met with a flurry of excitement, activities, and fun. The year 2025 was no exception. S.H.A.R.E.’s team of experts introduced new courses, led conference presentations, provided production assistance on TV and film projects, and engaged the community on other important initiatives.
Expanding Course Offerings
Keeping up with constant advancement in the health care industry, SONHS and S.H.A.R.E. continue to add courses to benefit students and the greater Miami health care community. These courses reinforce the S.H.A.R.E. pillar of ‘Education for Life,” which is aimed at creating an environment that actively encourages future and current health care professionals to keep advancing their knowledge and practice scope.
- Applied Basic Principles in Healthcare (BPH 299) was launched as a pilot course in January 2025 to provide health science and public health students with hands-on health care exposure. Through practical skills such as CPR, medication measurement, proper handwashing techniques, and conducting telehealth appointments, students gain essential foundational knowledge to support their continued education and professional growth in health care.
- Beyond the Bruise: Simulation Moulage 101, introduced in October by Simulation Technologist Camila Venegas, teaches the art of applying special effects makeup to create realistic-looking mock injuries. Moulage has become increasingly popular in simulation-based education for its ability to enhance realism, engagement, and overall learning experience. Venegas will continue to offer the course in upcoming semesters, with information available here.
- For the fifth consecutive year, S.H.A.R.E. ran the “Next 5 Minutes” course in collaboration with UHealth – University of Miami Health System. Next 5 Minutes was created to prepare nurses and health support staff in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) to handle different medical emergencies while awaiting the arrival on scene of EMS personnel. From minor injuries to allergic reactions, participants learn best practice procedures designed to ensure higher survival rates for MDCPS students and staff.
- H.A.R.E. hosted its Basic Suturing Course monthly throughout 2025. By focusing on essential suturing techniques, this hands-on training for health care providers helps participants refine skills required for effective wound management in urgent care and other clinical settings.
- A group of certifications open to students as well as all physicians and nurse practitioners in Miami are the American Heart Association (AHA) HeartCode® delivery of Basic Life Support (BLS), Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS), Advance Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) courses. Health care professionals have to renew their life support skills certifications every two years. Nursing students are also required to be certified in these skills before starting clinical rotations. S.H.A.R.E. offers a hybrid course model in which learners take the AHA portion online and register to complete monthly hands-on skills checkoffs in person at S.H.A.R.E.
- In 2023, S.H.A.R.E. introduced phlebotomy training for athletic training graduate students in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, equipping them with skills to insert IVs for blood draws and fluid administration. The demand for nurses with phlebotomy training has grown exponentially. To meet this demand, S.H.A.R.E. expanded phlebotomy course offerings in 2025 to include participants from dermatology and medical assistants at the Lennar Foundation Medical Center, UHealth Doral, and UHealth SoLé Mia.
Engaging with the Community:
In alignment with the School of Nursing and Health Studies “Education for Life” objective, S.H.A.R.E. often collaborates with community partners to create engaging content for health care learners from throughout the University of Miami and beyond.
- Building on a series of successful collaborations between S.H.A.R.E. and the Coral Gables Fire Department (CGFD), an interprofessional simulation—codenamed Operation Ibis—was conducted to train paramedics and graduate nursing students in responding to emergency calls involving plastic surgery complications.
- This summer, nurse educator Jeffrey Groom led a session of “Improving Simulation Instructional Methods (ISIM)” at S.H.A.R.E., in collaboration with the Miller School of Medicine Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education. Designed for simulation educators, iSIM focuses on enhancing instructional strategies by guiding participants through the creation of simulation scenarios—ranging from individual skill-based exercises to complex, multi-skill group simulations. These trainings are run at the start of every academic year, with the next slated for August 2026.
- H.A.R.E. offered Take Your Child to Work Day activities this year for the children of University of Miami employees on the Coral Gables Campus. Participants were able to practice CPR skills, moulage talent, assist a high-fidelity simulation patient with their health needs, and many more hands-on activities.
- This year, S.H.A.R.E. added a new dimension to the popular “A Day in the Life of UM Health Care Students” event. Faculty and graduate students from the School of Education and Human Development, Department of Kinesiology and Sports Science, and Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Physical Therapy joined the team to guide high school students from Miami-Dade and Broward counties through interactive stations showcasing skills from three health care disciplines. The goal was to broaden students’ awareness of health care career paths while giving them the chance to engage directly with UM faculty and graduate students, ask questions, and explore future opportunities.
S.H.A.R.E. Accomplishments
In line with SONHS’s mission of Hemispheric Leadership, S.H.A.R.E. staff continued to prove the importance of collaboration this year with attendance at simulation education conferences, new dynamic leadership, and accreditations from national organizations.
- Frank Guido-Sanz joined S.H.A.R.E. in January as associate dean for simulation education and research and professor of clinical. The focus of his tenure is to expand research, education, and corporate partnerships.
- Some of our staff members traveled all over the world this year to represent S.H.A.R.E. at different simulation education conferences: SimGHOSTS, International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), and Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM). More information on our conference attendance can be found here.
- In 2025, S.H.A.R.E. was accredited by two national organizations: Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). In addition to its INACSL accreditation and other certifications, these new accreditations certify S.H.A.R.E. as a stellar provider of continuing nursing professional development. Both accreditations are valid through 2030, when S.H.A.R.E. will be eligible for reaccreditation. Learn more here.
S.H.A.R.E.’s multifaceted resources, staff, and facilities serve students and the community at large. In addition to S.H.A.R.E.’s many educational functions, it is used by innovators for beta equipment testing, production companies for film and media, organizations who wish to train in a hospital setting, and more. Celebrating a successful 2025, the S.H.A.R.E. team looks forward to advancing the University-wide mission of “education for life” for years to come.
