Following the Simulation Educator Needs Assessment Tool (SENAT), the new Simulation Operations Needs Assessment Tool (SONAT) was developed by Young, Charnetski, Floersch, Wortham, and Leighton (2025) based on the lack of a needs assessment tool for simulation operations specialists (SOS), no matter their title, as part of Leighton et al’s Evaluating Healthcare Simulation Tools hosted by HealthySimulation.com.
The SONAT was designed to assess the needs of SOSs to inform professional development of the newly hired, as well as the experienced SOS. The foundation of the instrument was based on best practice, community and peer-reviewed documents, including the Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist Blueprint, SimGHOSTS Capability Framework, Simulation Educator Needs Assessment Tool, and the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice.
As part of the Evaluating Healthcare Simulation tools, the Simulation Operations Needs Assessment Tool (SONAT) was developed by Young, Charnetski, Floersch, Wortham, and Leighton (2025) based on a gap analysis for simulation operations specialists (SOS) development. The SONAT was designed to assess the needs of SOSs(of any title) to inform professional development of the newly hired, as well as the experienced operations specialist.
Missing from the literature was a needs assessment tool for use when a SOS is hired and to identify ongoing professional development needs. A needs assessment helps both new employees and those overseeing their orientation to identify gaps in the employeeโs training and experience, allowing for more effective planning and prioritization of the orientation process. A needs assessment can also help a more experienced SOS in identifying areas for potential development to enhance their professional growth and contribution to the advancement of the field. The outcomes provide a framework for identifying the best resources for training and ongoing education. A needs assessment can be revisited throughout orientation but also form the basis for an annual evaluation tool that is specific to the SOS role expectations and performance, driving continuous improvement.
Download the SONAT Simulation Operations Needs Assessment Tool!
Permission to Use FREELY:
This work is licensed under Creative Commons, which enables you to use the tool under certain conditions. A separate IRB letter is not required for research purposes: Simulation Operations Needs Assessment Tool (SONAT) ยฉ 2025 by Young, Charnetski, Floersch, Wortham & Leighton is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0ย International. View a copy of this Creative Commons license.
Why the Simulation Operations Needs Assessment Tool was Developed:
- Gap noted in the literature for sim professional development needs assessment
- Need to provide data regarding an individualโs needs and desires for improvement
- Serve as catalyst for simulation professional development conversations
- Assist in the creation of a professional development roadmap for simulation programs and / or individual simulation operations specialists
HOW the SONAT was Developed:
The audience for this self-reporting survey is the Simulation Operations Specialists (of any title), broadly defined as a โsimulation team member who provides expertise in the logistics and operational planning, delivery, and evaluation of simulation-based education. . . but this umbrella term embodies many different rolesโ (Healthcare Simulation Dictionary v3.0, p. 44). This tool may be useful for those in the academic or clinical simulation environments.
What is a Needs Assessment?
A needs assessment is a crucial stage in the educational process that leads to changes in practice and should be part of the continuing professional development process, and should be the starting point in designing any formalized professional improvement curriculum.
Literature Review:
Survey Draft based on literature and Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist Blueprint, SimGHOSTS Capability Framework, Simulation Educator Needs Assessment Tool, and the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice.
Reliability and Validity of the SONAT
SONAT Validation
Sample: 412 responded; 256 completed (62%)
Four Subscales:
- Awareness of Professional Standards subscale consists of six items (ฮฑ=.795),
- Advancement of Healthcare Simulation consists of three items (ฮฑ=.730),
- Healthcare Simulation Topics consists of 11 items (ฮฑ=.912),
- Simulation Modalities consists of 10 items (ฮฑ=.902).
- Good to excellent scale reliability
Download the SONAT Simulation Operations Needs Assessment Tool!
References:
- Manuscript under consideration for publication
- If you need an official โPermission to Useโ letter, or have questions about this tool, please contact Jarrod R. Young.
LinkedIn profiles of Authors:
- Jarrod R. Young MBA, BSE, CHSOS-A, FSSH
- Matthew D. Charnetski, MSMS, NRP, CHSE, CHSOS, FSSH
- Eugene B. Floersch, MPH, CHSE, CHSOS
- Phillip Wortham, MBA, BA, CHSOS-A, FSSH
- Kim Leighton, MSN, PhD, CHSE-A, CHSOS, ANEF, FSSH, FAAN
Return to the Evaluating Healthcare Simulation tools webpage.