From Mannequins To Metaverse: The Future of Nursing Simulation - William Scott Erdley, PhD, RN

Dr. Scott Erdley, former Director of Simulation and Clinical Skills Lab at SUNY Buffalo and a nationally recognized leader in nursing education, joins the conversation to explore how nursing simulation has evolved from basic mannequins to immersive, technology-driven learning environments. He shares real-world examples that show how simulation builds clinical judgment, sharpens communication, and prepares nurses for rare, high-risk situations. The discussion connects education, design, and emerging technologies to demonstrate why simulation plays a critical role in patient safety and workforce readiness.

Episode Highlights
00:00 | What Exactly Is Clinical Simulation?
00:29 | Real-World Save: Simulation Training Takes Flight
01:22 | Meet Dr. Scott Erdley: From Logic Tests to Leading Simulation Labs
03:23 | Simulation as Clinical Experience: The Early Days
05:29 | Skills, Communication, and Confidence: Why Sim Matters
06:26 | Learning to Call the Doctor at 2AM
07:13 | Repeatable Scenarios: Standardizing High-Stakes Practice
08:24 | When Simulation Saves Lives—Even at 30,000 Feet
09:18 | 75% of Nursing Programs Now Use Simulation Labs
09:58 | Code Team Drills with Mannequins: Practice Under Pressure
11:16 | OB and Neonatal Use Cases—and Legal Implications
13:52 | Strategic Planning: Why Are You Investing in Sim?
14:32 | Simulation for Onboarding, Oncology, and More
15:35 | ROI: From M&M Rates to Hiring Efficiency
16:20 | Academic Partnerships as an Access Strategy
17:21 | AI and VR: Opening the Simulation Toolbox
18:19 | Conversational AI and Psych Nursing Sim Scenarios
19:26 | Standardized Patients: Humanizing the Training Process
20:45 | Merging AI with Robotics: A Future with Thinking Mannequins
24:11 | From Wetware to Brain Interfaces: A New Era in Care
25:06 | Ready Player One Meets Real-World Nursing
26:02 | Why Debriefing - Critique: Coaching Through Reflection
27:04 | Simulating Conflict: Aggressive Patients, Interdisciplinary Tension
29:18 | Prompt-Based Simulations: A Natural Language Future
30:00 | Final Advice: Simulation as Strategy—and a Whole Lot of Fun

Guest: Dr. Scott Erdley, Former Director of Simulation & Clinical Skills Lab, SUNY Buffalo
Host: Gregg Malkary – Spyglass Consulting Group – https://spyglass-consulting.com/
Lighthouse Healthtech – https://lighthouse-healthtech.com
Cohost: Keith Washington – Companions in Courage Foundation – https://cic16.org/
Sponsored by: Simplifi Medical – https://www.SimplifiMedical.com
Audio/Video: Tim Jones – Health Nuts Media – https://healthnutsmedia.com/
Marketing: Josh Troop – Troop-Creative – https://www.troop-creative.com
Learn More at: www.beyond-blueprint.com