HANCEVILLE, Ala. – More than 100 educators and healthcare professionals gathered at Wallace State Community College last week for the Department of Nursing Education’s annual workshop, which this year focused on artificial intelligence in simulation-based learning.
The workshop, Innovations in Healthcare Simulations, provided attendees with opportunities to learn how artificial intelligence, or AI, can be integrated into the training of future health care professionals.
Two main sessions addressed incorporating technology and AI into simulation programs and debriefing with good judgment. The sessions were led by Dr. Will Brewer, director of simulation at the University of North Alabama, and Kelly Dailey, a simulation educator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Breakout sessions covered a range of topics, including psychological safety in simulation and innovations in 3D printing.
During a panel discussion, Brewer said removing bias and improving time management are among the advantages of using AI in simulation.
“Everyone has bias, you have bias just because you’re human,” he said. “But we need to be as free of bias as we can in our sims and that’s one thing that I’ve seen a lot.”
Brewer also said artificial intelligence can help instructors better facilitate simulations. With earlier manikins, he said instructors had to serve as the voice of the manikin during simulations.
“Now, AI is being the voice of the manikin and that frees of a person to do something else,” he said.
Dr. Michelle Brown, director of the Healthcare Simulation School of Health Professionals at UAB, said AI is especially useful in the design, delivery and evaluation of simulations, as well as debriefing.
“But we don’t need to use AI so much without the human intervention,” Brown said.
Nursing instructors Shelly Dyal, Hannah Sasser and Alecia McGregor of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College attended the workshop. Two years ago, Dyal and Sasser attended a similar workshop at Wallace State and said the experience inspired them to pursue doctorates in nursing with a focus on simulation.
“This conference means a lot to us because it’s advanced our careers, and every year it just gets better and better,” Dyal said. “We love the speakers and our wheels just start turning the moment we sit down and start listening. We hope to one day elevate our own program and have a certified sims center as well.”
Sasser said simulations help ensure consistent learning outcomes for students.
“It guarantees standardized objectives are met and in our rural community that we live in, they don’t always get that in clinical practices,” she said.
Wallace State’s Department of Nursing Education is accepting applications for Fall 2026 admission through May 15. For more information, visit wallacestate.edu/nursing or send an email to nursingapplicant@wallacestate.edu or call 256-352-8199.
