Healthcare Simulationist Code of Ethics
The Society of Simulation in Healthcare code of ethics define the highest aspirational values for healthcare simulation professionals:
I. Integrity
Healthcare Simulationists shall maintain the highest standards of integrity including honesty, truthfulness, fairness, and judgment in all matters affecting their duties. They shall:
- Respect and cultivate an ethical organizational environment.
- Provide, as appropriate, disclosure of simulation activity design assumptions, limitations, alterations, and problems.
- Be explicit and unequivocal about the applicability of specific simulation activities and methods according to the available evidence.
- Work to eliminate unnecessary harm to humans, animals, and the environment.
- Honour privacy rights of individuals and organizations, and uphold the confidentiality of data and outcomes as appropriate.
- Respect and acknowledge all intellectual and property rights and give due credit where appropriate.
II. Transparency
Healthcare Simulationists shall perform all healthcare simulation activities in a manner that promotes transparency and clarity in the design, communication, and decision-making processes. They shall:
- Adhere to accepted standards in the documentation, analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of simulation activities.
- Disclose any activities that may involve real or perceived conflicts of interest.
- Be explicit about the nature and purpose of the simulation activity, including research activities.
- Restrict simulation activities involving deception, ensuring that deception is minimized to the extent possible and does not involve the concealment of risk or intent to harm or punish.
III. Mutual Respect
Healthcare Simulationists shall respect the rights, dignity, and worth of all. They shall practice empathy and compassion to support beneficence and non-maleficence towards all involved in simulation activities. They shall:
- honour the knowledge, skills, values, and vulnerability of learners and colleagues.
- Listen to others’ points of view, seeking to understand them.
- Exhibit humane behaviour, honour diversity, and foster inclusion, avoiding prejudicial treatment.
- Maximize safety and minimize physical and psychological risk.
IV. Professionalism
Healthcare Simulationists shall conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the professional standards inherent in healthcare simulation. They shall:
- Demonstrate professional competence and attitudes.
- Exhibit continuous personal and professional development.
- Encourage and develop colleagues and new entrants to the healthcare simulation profession.
- Cultivate opportunities for the advancement of the healthcare simulation profession.
V. Accountability
Healthcare Simulationists shall be accountable for their decisions and actions in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities. They shall:
- Continuously seek, reflect on, and incorporate feedback.
- Submit themselves to professional review as required.
- Be role models of ethical behaviour.
- Exhibit professional conduct that is a credit to the healthcare simulation community, employer, and self.
- Identify and notify relevant parties of unsafe, unethical, or unprofessional behaviours.
- Design and use simulations in a way that wisely uses available resources.
- Maintain vigilance regarding not only desired outcomes, but also potential unintended consequences of the simulation activity.
VI. Results Orientation
Healthcare Simulationists shall serve to support activities that enhance the quality of the profession and healthcare systems. Outcomes are inclusive of all parts of the process of healthcare simulation and are not exclusive to a final product. They shall:
- Assure the reliable and credible use of healthcare simulation, in line with acknowledged standards of practice.
- Engage in continuous quality improvement.
- Create and measure impact across the range of achievable outcomes, including the practice of simulation, human performance, systems improvement, and direct patient results.
- Incorporate and embed the Code of Ethics throughout healthcare simulation and organizational culture.
- Use the Code of Ethics to inform ethical practices in relevant fields.
- Advance public knowledge about healthcare simulation by promoting access and sharing knowledge and experience.