From RT to Simulation Manager: How Samantha Davis Made the Move

Clinical simulation is now a mainstay in health professions education, both during formal education programs and in continuing education scenarios once clinicians are on the job. Samantha Davis, DMSc, RRT, RRT-NPS, CHSE-A, FAARC, has been blazing the trail for RTs in this area for a number of years now, and all her hard work paid off recently when she was named to serve as manager of simulation, education, and innovation for Henry Ford Health, a leading non-profit health care organization headquartered in Detroit, MI, that operates more than 550 facilities across the state, including 13 hospitals.

In this interview, she explains how she became interested in clinical simulation and what it took to move into this upper-level position.

How long have you been an RT, and when, where, and why did you become interested in clinical simulations?

I’ve been an RT for 16 years, and I’ve been involved with simulation for the past 10 years. Simulation is one of those things that fell in my lap — after joining the faculty at Boise State University in 2016, my department chair, Lutana Haan, shared the opportunity to get involved. The rest is history.

How have you been involved in clinical simulation for RTs over the years, and what kind of educational background did you need to get more into this area?

Initially, I served as the simulation coordinator for an undergraduate respiratory care program. Over the course of several years, I developed dozens of simulation scenarios that were scaffolded throughout our curriculum.

After that, I joined a company that created virtual reality simulation scenarios for health care professionals. As a clinical author, I brought clinical expertise and partnered with experts in game design, animation, and more to create scenarios used in academic and health care settings worldwide.

I have completed formal training in simulation, earning a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Simulation, as well as Comprehensive Instructor Development from the Mayo Clinic. While there is no widely accepted or standardized minimum educational requirement, having knowledge of simulation pedagogy and best practices has made me a much more effective simulationist.

What did it take in terms of education and experience to land your current position at Henry Ford Health, and how hard was it to get this job — which I believe covers the entire organization — as someone who started out as an RT?

Experience was key in obtaining this new position! Transferable skills were also important—for example, I’m pursuing accreditation for our simulation centers, and my experience with CoARC accreditation has been invaluable.

The job ad didn’t specify a clinical specialty but indicated that clinical experience was required. This was a “green flag” for me because many simulation roles ask for an RN or MD, which can prevent folks with relevant expertise from being considered or even applying.

What does your new job entail?

In my new role, I manage daily operations for two hospital simulation centers. One facility specializes in manikin, task-trainer, simulated participant, and virtual platforms, while the other focuses on anatomical dissection and surgical skills.

My team supports undergraduate and graduate medical education, hospital departments, and key patient safety initiatives. For example, our mandatory central line course for residents directly contributed to a two-year zero-CLABSI streak in the ICU.

Beyond operations, I advise on simulation best practices and promote professional development opportunities for faculty and operations personnel.

What would you say are the biggest challenges and rewards of working in this position so far, and why?

The biggest challenge so far has been learning the systems. In addition to it being a new role for me, the health system is undergoing a merger so trying to get settled into a new role while departments, teams, and practices are changing has presented unique challenges.

The greatest rewards have come from team development and innovation. I love simulation, but I love mentoring others in simulation even more and seeing their practice evolve.

It’s also been rewarding to introduce simulation to teams that haven’t taken part before. You don’t know what you don’t know, so showing people what’s possible and watching them get excited about how they can better prepare their teams is incredible.

How has your background as a respiratory therapist helped you take on this new position?

My background as an RT has been particularly useful, as many of our recurring scenarios involve RT in the clinical environment. For example, in NRP, ACLS, ATLS, and in-situ mock code blue scenarios, RTs are present when all of those things happen in the clinical environment, so I can advise from experience when developing and facilitating in the simulation center.

What’s your best advice for your fellow RTs who might like to get more involved in the growing area of clinical simulation — not just for RTs, but for clinicians hospital-wide, as you have done?

Be resourceful! RTs are widely known to be adaptable, resourceful, and solution-oriented. We’ll always try to figure out a way! The same applies here. Countless low- or no-cost professional development opportunities in simulation exist. Seek them out and start learning.

In the hospital setting, the same advice applies — whether it’s repurposing equipment or connecting with other departments to co-create something mutually beneficial, be resourceful! Put yourself out there and find people who can help.