Clinical Simulation in Edson College

The expert faculty and staff of the Grace Center for Innovation in Nursing Education (Grace Center) facilitate 90,000 student hours annually in experiential learning and community outreach across programs at Edson College. The Center’s vision—“Knowledge & Action Join As One”—is enacted at a 45,000 sq. ft. facility located in the Mercado Complex on the Downtown Phoenix Campus (DPC) and through online resources. State-of-the-art technology and resources provide an effective learning environment for students to practice/master nursing skills and clinical decision making in a dynamic encounter using fully integrated informatics in a variety of healthcare settings while using learning management systems to empower reflective practice. Simulation is an evidenced-based innovation in healthcare education based on objectives guided preparation, and reflection to reinforce student self-discovery that translates to practice competencies. By providing consistent learning opportunties for all to make assessments, exercise clinical decision-making skills, and provide increasing complexity of interventions practice interprofessional education opportunities offered once a semester between nursing, speech and hearing, social work, and nutrition while immersing themselves in realistic healthcare situations.

Our graduates are well respected and marketable to healthcare agencies in the region. Prelicensure graduates consistently perform above the national average in passing the NCLEX exam their first time.

The Grace Center earned international accreditation in 2015 through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), currently the only accredited nursing education program in Arizona. The Grace Center staff members received the 2014 ASU President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness and the 2012 Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing Innovation Award. The Grace Center Director was selected for the 2016 NLN Leadership program and current Assistant Clinical Professional engaged d in the 2020 cohort. ASU contracts with the Arizona State Board of Nursing to provide evaluation assessments of nurses referred by the Board to assess competence to practice.