HITS Lab Receives Accreditation

The college’s Health Innovation Technology and Simulation Laboratory—commonly known as the HITS Lab—has received provisional accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. The facility provides an interactive educational space for students in health professions and an innovative test site for the development of new health technology.

“I am so impressed by the administration and faculty of the College of Nursing for making the commitment to provide exemplar simulation education to our students,” said Susan Fancher, simulation director. “Being recognized as an accredited center by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare reflects an accomplishment which has been secured by very few.”

There are currently 88 accredited simulation centers in the world, of which 76 are in the United States. The HITS Lab is only the second accredited center in Tennessee.

“To be included in this group is a reason to be proud,” said Fancher.

The lab, which provides simulated educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate nursing clinical courses, is an organized research unit representing a multidisciplinary partnership between UT’s College of Nursing and Tickle College of Engineering. Its mission is to advance the science of health information technology and enhance consumer health and professional health education.

“This recognition exemplifies the exceptional learning environment that the College of Nursing has created to prepare our graduates for the challenges of the nursing profession,” said Dean Victoria Niederhauser. “Through the accreditation process we are able to demonstrate excellent educational outcomes for our students.”

The HITS lab includes more than 7,600 square feet of simulated space configured to provide a replica of the patient care environment. Other simulation spaces in the college include a 2,400-square-foot low-fidelity skills lab. In both spaces, health care providers learn to apply cognitive, technical, and psychomotor skills using an interdisciplinary approach.

Tami Wyatt and Xueping Li serve as co-directors of the lab. Wyatt is the associate dean for research in the College of Nursing. Li is the director of the Ideation Laboratory and an associate professor of industrial and systems engineering in UT’s Tickle College of Engineering.