Montana Tech’s Sherry Lesar School of Nursing earns Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice endorsement
Back Row: Simulation Facilitators, Seana Ralph, Kathy Roth, Stacy Phillips, and Nikole Kelly
Front Row: Director of Nursing, Janet Coe, and Simulation Technician, Dawn Anderson
Montana Technological University recently earned the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice endorsement from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), which establishes the University’s Sherry Lesar School of Nursing as a leading provider of simulation education.
Fewer than 50 colleges, universities, hospitals and healthcare providers worldwide have earned the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice endorsement, which is designed to recognize healthcare institutions and practices that have demonstrated excellence in applying all four of the following simulation standards in their educational simulation programs:
- Prebriefing: Preparation and Briefing
- Facilitation
- Professional Integrity
- Debriefing
The Sherry Lesar School of Nursing is the only institution in Montana to earn the designation.
"The Sherry Lesar School of Nursing's goal has always been to be grounded in simulation best practices,” Director of Nursing Janet Coe, MSN,RN,CHSE said. “The opening of the Sherry Lesar Family Nursing Simulation Center allowed the opportunity to standardize many processes and increase collaboration among the simulation team. This designation highlights the amazing leadership and simulation experience of Dr. Kathy Roth and the dedication and commitment of the entire simulation team in providing high quality simulation education to nursing students. "
In order to earn the endorsement, faculty and staff collected and submitted two years of data to demonstrate that the INACSL’s standards were met. The team includes Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Kathy Roth, along with fellow simulation facilitators Assistant Professor Nikole Kelly, Assistant Professor Seana Ralph, Assistant Professor Dr. Stacy Phillips, and Simulation Technician Dawn Anderson.
The professors teach students in the 5,000 square feet Lesar Family Nursing Simulation Center, which opened in 2022. It offers four simulation suites with the ability to flex space to hospital, home or office settings, debriefing rooms, and telehealth rooms. In addition, the center includes a nurse's station and medication room for student simulated learning experiences.
“Our simulation ultimately is designed to help students improve their practice, and in the end, the patient care,” Roth said. “We practice everything imaginable. If you can dream up what could happen in real life, we can make it happen in practice, so students get that experience, and sometimes it’s experience that we might not be able to give them otherwise.”
The Sherry Lesar School of Nursing is ranked #1 on RegisteredNursing.org’s list of the “2024 Best RN Programs in Montana” and was named a Top 20 BSN Program in the U.S. by EDsmart in 2022. Graduates’ NCLEX-RN pass rates for December 2023 and May 2024 were 100%. The NCLEX-RN exam is the licensing exam for registered nurses. The school’s excellent reputation helps draw applicants from across the United States. By earning the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice endorsement, the Sherry Lesar School of Nursing continues to set itself apart as a distinguished leader in healthcare education.
“It is an international recognition of how we are demonstrating excellence,” Roth said.
There are now more opportunities than ever for students to attend the Sherry Lesar School of Nursing. Montana high school seniors with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher are able to apply for the Nursing Scholars Edge Direct Entry Program. The Nursing Scholars Edge Program is a direct entry opportunity that selects 25 top Montana high school seniors every year from a pool of qualified applicants. Additionally, applicants will be considered for a $500 scholarship. All incoming freshmen selected for the Nursing Scholars Edge Program secure clinical spots in the Sherry Lesar School of Nursing. Earning a seat in the clinical program is a highly competitive process for students who don’t have the Nursing Scholars Edge Program advantage. The deadline for the Fall 2025 cohort is January 15. For more information click here.
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Montana Tech by clicking here. The Sherry Lesar School of Nursing, in conjunction with the Montana Tech Admissions Office, offers tours of its facilities, consultation with faculty members, and transcript evaluations to prospective students. To sign up for a virtual or in-person visit, click here.