SWOT Analysis Impact on a Simulation Center’s Strategic Plan and Development of a Career Path

Abstract : According to INACSL’s Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice: Operations (2021), simulation-based education (SBE) must encompass an all-inclusive program that not only integrates infrastructure, people, and process, but also considers business acumen and staff with expertise in the development and implementation of simulation. Building and growing SBE operations requires a strategic plan with realistic goals. This presentation will describe how leaders from a large, multi-site simulation center utilized a SWOT analysis framework and stakeholder meetings to identify strategic goals and set a direction for advancing the center’s programs. Identified themes will be shared and examples will be provided to demonstrate how leadership advocacy has been integrated into the center’s strategic plan to accomplish goals.

During the SWOT analysis, staffs professional development and the need to offer staff a clear career path was identified as an opportunity. Job mapping is important for attracting, building, and maintaining growth within a simulation center and was a critical first step in developing a career path for key roles within our simulation center. Our program’s development and implementation of a simulation career path has supported the upward mobility of those in critical roles, leading to the promotion of 5 staff members and goals for advancement established for many others on our team. During this presentation, we will also include a discussion of the individual career paths created and the impact they have had on the team.