Joanna Hall, director of simulation and assistant professor of nursing at UA Little Rock, has earned the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) certification.

Awarded by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the international CHSE certification is awarded to individuals who perform healthcare simulation in the educator role. The certification improves healthcare simulation education through the identification of best practices, strengthens patient safety efforts, and recognizes expertise in simulation above and beyond domain expertise.

Hall is the first person at UA Little Rock to earn the certification and is one of 21 CHSE certified individuals in Arkansas.

“I am excited to get this certification,” Hall said. “It is my hope that this can be yet another of the many building blocks we are stacking here in the School of Nursing and our Center for Simulation Innovation to help continue to craft exceptional simulation experiences for our nursing students.”

After joining UA Little Rock as a nursing instructor in 2017, Hall began to lead simulation education efforts for the School of Nursing in 2019. She was promoted to director of simulation and assistant professor last year and leads the UA Little Rock Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI), which provides nursing students with valuable real-world experience that prepares them for their future careers in the healthcare industry. Located on the first floor of the UA Little Rock Pat Walker Center for Nursing Education, CSI is a 20-bed state-of-the-art simulation hospital offering simulation-based clinical learning experiences within a 9,500 square foot facility.

“Focusing on short- and long-term goals, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the most outstanding simulation team that believes the sky is the limit for CSI,” Hall said. “We strive to grow a sustainable, standardized simulation center that delivers extraordinary experiences with far-reaching impact and research implications. Our students and community call for expertly trained nurses and high-quality educational offerings. CSI seeks to answer that call.”

Hall received her Bachelor of Science in Community Health Promotion (BS), Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), all from UA Little Rock. She received her Master of Nursing Science (MNSc) in Nursing Administration and Nursing Education from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.