Episode #29
The Best of a Worst Case Scenario, A Pediatric Palliative Care Simulation Program for Emergency Departments with Hilary Woodward and Jessica Evins
The Best of a Worst Case Scenario, A Pediatric Palliative Care Simulation Program for Emergency Departments with Hilary Woodward and Jessica Evins. Jessica Evins is a Pediatric Emergency Nurse at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center and an adjunct nursing faculty at Columbia University School of Nursing. She is a strong advocate for interprofessional simulation-based training and is passionate about expanding the role of palliative care in the emergency setting. Jessica has been an invited speaker at national nursing conferences on simulation, clinical debriefing, and pediatric palliative care. Jessica was the 2022 recipient of the Distinguished Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse award from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. A Certified Child Life Specialist since 2011, Hilary Woodward joined the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Einstein (Bronx, New York, USA) as Director of Patient and Family Programs in 2025. Previously, she was a child life specialist in the Pediatric Emergency Department at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at Columbia University Irving Medical Center for more than 13 years. Hilary is the founder and director of the child life program at BASE Camp, a simulation-based training in pediatric emergency medicine for physicians, nurses, and child life specialists. In 2021, Hilary was elected to the executive board of INSPIRE (International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research, & Education). She was the first psychosocial professional ever in this role, serving two consecutive terms. Hilary currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Child Life Professionals. She presents her work on simulation and pediatric pain management locally, nationally, and internationally. She was an adjunct faculty member at Bank Street Graduate School of Education and is a 2023 recipient of the Bank Street College Alumni Association Recognition Award. Hilary Woodward and Jessica Evins share their insights on pediatric simulation for palliative care, emphasizing the importance of communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and tailored scenario design to improve clinician comfort and family support. Key words: pediatric simulation, palliative care, healthcare communication, interdisciplinary training, medical education, simulation-based learning Key topics: -The role of child life specialists in simulation -Designing effective pediatric palliative care scenarios -The impact of simulation on clinician comfort and family support -Interdisciplinary collaboration in simulation training -Using needs assessments to tailor simulation scenarios -The importance of psychological safety in simulation -Expanding pediatric simulation programs across institutions Takeaways Simulation provides a safe space for clinicians to practice challenging conversations. Interdisciplinary collaboration enriches simulation training and patient care. Needs assessments help tailor scenarios to learner priorities. Starting with lighter cases builds confidence for emotionally charged situations. Simulation can lead to tangible outcomes like increased palliative care consults. The community around pediatric simulation is welcoming and collaborative. Small wins in simulation, like improved communication, have lasting impacts. Simulation helps clinicians be present and empathetic during real patient interactions. "Simulation gives us space to engage differently." "Small wins in simulation stay with us." "Communication is a skill, like IV insertion." If any of our listeners want a copy of one of Jessica and Hilary’s simulation cases email us at: ipssthepodcast@gmail.com and we will send you a copy! Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Pediatric Simulation and Palliative Care 00:24 Meet the Speakers: Hilary Woodward and Jessica Evins 00:41 How Hilary and Jessica Got Started in Simulation 01:05 Designing Effective Pediatric Palliative Care Scenarios 01:31 Using Needs Assessments to Guide Scenario Development 01:54 Building Psychological Safety in Simulation 02:10 Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Simulation Training 02:13 Impact of Simulation on Clinician Confidence and Family Support 02:43 Expanding Pediatric Simulation Programs Across Hospitals 03:13 Lessons Learned and Future Directions in Pediatric Simulation
