Healthcare Simulation Center Partners, Faculty and Staff

The Healthcare Simulation Center partners, faculty and staff are dedicated to the continuous improvement of healthcare and the transformation of healthcare education through research, lifelong learning and clinical and academic excellence.

Partners

• Avera Health
• Sanford Health
• University of South Dakota Parry Center
• VA Healthcare System
• Monument Health

Alyssa Zweifel, Ph.D., RN, CHSE is the healthcare simulation center director and assistant professor at South Dakota State University, College of Nursing. She has been teaching in undergraduate nursing programs since 2015, with involvement in hospital-based simulations from 2010-2015. Zweifel is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and completed her master's and doctoral dissertations in healthcare simulation research. She has extensive experience designing and implementing experiences in both nursing education and interprofessional groups, aligning them with the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice™. Currently Zweifel serves as an active member of the INACSL virtual simulation special interest group and is an SSH accreditation site reviewer.

Annette Ray, M.S.N., RN, CNE, CHSE began her simulation experience during her time at the University of South Dakota . While at USD, Ray was Instrumental in the development and implementation of their simulation program. Ray has brought her skills and expertise to the SDSU College of Nursing and has been involved in the creation and review of simulations, using the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice™, Ray has been a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) since 2020.

Megan Watson, M.S.N., RN has been an active member of the SDSU College of Nursing Healthcare Simulation Center faculty simulation team at the Rapid City campus since the start of her teaching career. Watson has participated in a number of simulations and has become a dedicated simulation faculty member. In addition to participating in simulations Watson has also assisted in the updating and editing of new and existing simulations.

Takara Schomberg, M.S.N., RN, CNE, CHSE was involved in the writing of simulations at Augustana University and George Williams College of Aurora University prior to joining the team at SDSU. Schomberg has completed the Laerdal training for operation of SimView, SimMom, SimNewB, SimMan and SimJunior and the University of Washington simulation modules. Schomberg is an integral part of the SDSU team and has been highly involved in the development of new simulation scenarios.

Brandi Pravecek, DNP, RN, CNP, FNP-BEC has simulation experience with telehealth: CareSpan within SDSU’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. She also has simulation experience in the campus lab and organizes our graduate student performance evaluations with live standardized patient models. She has utilized our virtual simulation: Shadow Health in several graduate nursing courses. Pravecek serves as our graduate simulation expert and has used the OtoSim and OpthoSim equipment in teaching lab in the graduate physical assessment course.

Dianne Smith started her simulation experience in 2014. She ran a sim lab for a small private college and assisted in design and set up of a new sim center. Dianne has been instrumental with initiating new supply processes at SDSU and bringing innovation to the Healthcare Simulation Center. She has been the first SDSU staff to obtain the Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist (CHSOS) Certification.

Sarwa supports simulation skills lab learning and student camps at the Brookings space.

Emily supports the operations of high-fidelity and innovative simulation activities at the Brookings site and the Healthcare Simulation Centers’ Standardized Patient (SP) Program. 

Brittani supports the simulation skills lab and operations of high-fidelity simulation and innovations at the Rapid City site.

Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators and Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialists

• Nicole Albert, M.S., RN, CNE, CHSE
• Brittany Brennen, Ph.D., RN, CHSE
• Annette Ray, M.S.N., CNE, CHSE
• Takara Schomberg, M.S.N., RN, CNE, CHSE
• Dianne Smith, RN, B.S.N., CHSOS
• Megan Watson, M.S., RN, CHSE
• Alyssa Zweifel, Ph.D., M.S., RN, CHSE