AA - Assistant Program Director of Simulation - (MHSA)

Burrell College of Health Sciences•Melbourne, FL

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Program Director of Simulation (APD-Sim) of the Master of Health Science in Anesthesia (MHSA) program at Burrell College of Health Sciences is responsible for the design, development, implementation, and continuous evaluation of the simulation and skills-based learning curriculum for AA students. This is a 0.6 FTE appointment with a faculty designation, reporting directly to the Program Director. Simulation-based learning serves as the essential bridge between the classroom and the operating room. It is the environment where students translate didactic knowledge into hands-on technical expertise, develop critical anesthesia skills on task trainers and high-fidelity mannequins, and encounter realistic clinical scenarios in a low-stakes, instructional setting before they begin caring for patients. The APD-Sim is the architect and steward of that learning environment for the MHSA program. The APD-Sim leads the program’s simulation curriculum within a dedicated two-OR simulation suite and clinical skills learning lab on the Melbourne campus, and coordinates access to the broader medical school simulation center and standardized patient resources for MHSA-specific learning activities. The APD-Sim also designs and integrates anesthesia-specific learning opportunities into the College’s established Standardized Patient Experience (SPE) program, through which students develop the affective domain skills of patient communication, physical assessment, and clinical interviewing. The APD-Sim works in close collaboration with the Assistant Program Director for Academic Affairs to ensure that the simulation curriculum is tightly correlated with, and directly complementary to, the didactic curriculum. This lateral coordination is essential to achieving coherent, sequenced learning across the didactic and preclinical phases of the program. The remaining 0.4 FTE is available for the individual’s independent professional use. The College expects that when the APD-Sim engages in clinical anesthesia practice during this time, they do so in a preceptor capacity, actively supervising MHSA students in the operating room or an approved clinical setting. This position is Exempt. This position reports to the Program Director - MHSA The start date for this position is Monday May 3rd, 2027. The selected candidate will support Burrell College’s organizational health initiatives, focusing on enhancing leadership, promoting clarity of purpose, improving communication, and reinforcing a respectful, purpose-driven culture. This role is key to fostering a healthy, high-performing organization that values integrity, transparency, and collaboration.

Requirements

Graduate of a CAAHEP-accredited Anesthesiologist Assistant program.
Current and active certification as a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA) in good standing with the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA).
Current and unencumbered Florida state licensure as an Anesthesiologist Assistant, or eligibility to obtain Florida licensure prior to the start date.
Master’s degree from a CAAHEP-accredited Anesthesiologist Assistant program required at the time of appointment.
Minimum of five (5) years of clinical experience as a practicing Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant.
Demonstrated experience in academic program coordination, curriculum development, or a related administrative role within a health professions graduate program.
Demonstrated familiarity with high-fidelity simulation equipment, task trainers, anesthesia simulators, and clinical technology routinely used in anesthesia practice.
Demonstrated ability to design and deliver instruction in clinical or simulation-based learning environment.
Deep clinical expertise in anesthesiology with demonstrated ability to translate that expertise into structured, educationally sound simulation experiences for graduate-level learners.
Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to facilitate structured debriefing, deliver constructive performance feedback, and interact professionally across students, faculty, and institutional contexts.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to plan, schedule, and coordinate complex simulation programming across multiple learning modalities and student cohorts.
Ability to collaborate productively with the APD for Academic Affairs, program faculty, the medical school simulation team, and institutional partners to deliver a coherent and integrated learning experience.
Genuine interest in and commitment to simulation-based pedagogy as a vehicle for student learning, patient safety, and professional development.
Proficiency with learning management systems, simulation management software, and standard office and educational technologies.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree (EdD, PhD, DMSc, DHSc, or equivalent relevant to health professions education or an allied field) is preferred but not required.
Formal training or certification in simulation-based education, such as the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) credential or equivalent.
Experience designing or leading simulation curricula in an AA, CRNA, anesthesia residency, or allied health graduate program.
Experience with standardized patient programs, OSCE design, or affective domain assessment in health professions education.
Experience as a clinical preceptor for AA students in the operating room setting.
Familiarity with CAAHEP accreditation standards and documentation related to simulation and clinical education.
Advanced degree in education, health professions education, or simulation science.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, implementation, and ongoing revision of a comprehensive, integrated simulation and skills-based curriculum for the MHSA program, spanning the full arc of the AA educational experience from foundational skills acquisition through advanced clinical scenario management.
Develop and sequence simulation learning objectives that directly correlate with and reinforce the didactic curriculum, in close collaboration with the APD for Academic Affairs and program faculty.
Design high-fidelity simulation scenarios that replicate clinical environments, patient presentations, and anesthesia management challenges students will encounter in supervised clinical practice.
Design and oversee task trainer-based skills curricula to build student proficiency in the core technical procedures of anesthesia practice, including airway management, vascular access, regional anesthesia techniques, and monitoring applications.
Develop, implement, and continuously revise simulation curriculum content, case scenarios, assessment rubrics, and debriefing frameworks in response to student performance data, faculty feedback, and advances in simulation-based health professions education.
Maintain current, accurate syllabi for all simulation and skills-based courses in compliance with program policy and CAAHEP accreditation standards.
Lead the operational use of the MHSA program’s dedicated two-OR simulation suite and clinical skills learning lab, including scheduling, resource management, equipment maintenance protocols, and learning environment readiness.
Collaborate with the College’s medical school simulation center team to coordinate MHSA student access to shared simulation resources, high-fidelity mannequins, and supplemental learning modalities.
Maintain and manage simulation equipment, task trainers, anesthesia machine simulators, monitoring systems, and associated technology used in the simulation suite and skills lab, coordinating maintenance and replacement needs with program and institutional leadership.
Develop and enforce safety protocols, equipment use standards, and infection control procedures applicable to the simulation learning environment.
Stay current with advances in simulation technology, anesthesia education equipment, and evidence based simulation pedagogy, and recommend investments and upgrades to the Program Director as appropriate.
Collaborate with the College’s established Standardized Patient Experience (SPE) program team to design and integrate anesthesia-specific learning scenarios into scheduled SPE events for MHSA students.
Develop SPE cases and learning objectives that address the affective domain competencies of the AA profession, including patient communication, preoperative assessment and interviewing, informed consent discussions, and patient- and family-centered care.
Ensure that SPE activities for MHSA students are sequenced appropriately within the curriculum and aligned with corresponding didactic content delivered in collaboration with the APD for Academic Affairs.
Participate in SPE debriefing sessions and contribute anesthesia-specific clinical expertise to students feedback and formative assessment.
Serve as Course Director for assigned simulation and skills-based courses, and deliver instruction across the simulation curriculum in areas of clinical and technical expertise.
As expertise allows, provide instruction in other areas of the MHSA didactic curriculum in coordination with the APD for Academic Affairs and the Program Director.
Schedule simulation and skills lab classes, manage course logistics, collect and review syllabi, and monitor course evaluations for all simulation-related coursework.
Facilitate structured debriefing sessions following simulation scenarios, using evidence-based debriefing methods to support student reflection, self-assessment, and clinical reasoning development.
Advise and mentor students in developing their clinical technical skills, professional identity, and readiness for supervised clinical practice.
Serve on the Student Progress and Promotions Committee and contribute to decisions regarding student remediation, skills competency, and academic progression.
Participate in student admissions processes, including application review and candidate interviews, providing recommendations to the Program Director.
When engaged in clinical anesthesia practice in the remaining 0.4 FTE, supervise MHSA students in the operating room or approved clinical setting in a formal preceptor capacity, contributing to their supervised clinical practice hours and competency development.
Develop and implement a systematic assessment framework for simulation and skills-based curriculum, including formative and summative competency evaluations, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and skills checkoffs.
Collect, analyze, and report student performance data from simulation assessments to identify learning gaps, inform curriculum revision, and support program quality improvement.
Collaborate with the APD for Academic Affairs and Program Director to ensure simulation assessment data is integrated into the program’s broader continuous quality improvement process.
Assist in preparing CAAHEP accreditation documentation related to simulation resources, curriculum, student competency assessment, and learning outcomes as directed by the Program Director.
Submit an annual Faculty Activity Report and other required program reports as directed.
Work in close and ongoing collaboration with the APD for Academic Affairs to ensure that simulation learning objectives, case content, and timing are deliberately sequenced to reinforce and extend didactic instruction.
Participate in program faculty meetings, curriculum committee activities, faculty development, and program committees as assigned by the Program Director.
Represent the MHSA program within the College’s simulation community and, where appropriate, at regional or national simulation and health professions education meetings.
Participate in student-facing program events including orientation, White Coat Ceremony, and commencement as program needs require.
Maintain standards of clinical and professional performance consistent with program objectives, CAAHEP accreditation standards, and the professional expectations of a practicing Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Director.