Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. Villanova prepares students to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.


The strength of the Villanova experience comes in part from the University’s welcoming community. All members are bonded together by a shared responsibility to uphold the ideals of Saint Augustine and let the principles of truth, unity and love guide their lives. The Villanova community helps students grow intellectually, professionally and spiritually, and challenges them to reach their full potential.


The University’s rigorous academic experience, rooted in the liberal arts, forms an environment in which students and professors are partners in learning. The Villanova community is dedicated to providing a personalized experience that fosters every student’s intellectual and spiritual well-being. As part of their education, students are encouraged to enrich their own lives by working for those in need. Through academic and service programs, students use their knowledge, skills and compassion to better the world around them.


There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. These colleges are the setting for an experience that develops both the heart and the mind, and creates the atmosphere where students are called to ignite change.


Villanova University is located in a suburban community 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Pa.

Villanova University

New Row

Contact expert @[Full Name](fullname), @[Job Title](job_title) at @[Organization](organization) for media, speaking, professional opportunities and more.

@[Full Name](fullname) at @[Organization](organization) | Contact Form

Expert Inquiry

Abril Fatface

Alata

Albert Sans

Archivo Black

Montserrat

Chair of Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) Pediatric Simulation Section 

International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation Learning (INACSL) : Education Committee

Deliberate Practice of Hand Hygiene and Patient Identification During Simulated Medication Administration: A Multisite Study

Utilizing simulation-enhanced interprofessional education to identify differences in healthcare students' collaborative practice behaviors: A mixed method study

Use of the Stay SAFE Interruption Management Strategy: A Multisite Multi-Methods Study

Identifying contributing factors influencing pediatric nurses' and health professionals' self-reported collaborative practice behaviors

Development of a Multisite Nursing Simulation Work Group Focusing on the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning Standards

Simulation is redefining how nurses learn, collaborate, and step into emerging roles across the entire care continuum. 

In this episode, Dr. Susan Kilroy, inaugural Endowed Professor in Healthcare Simulation and Innovation at Villanova University’s Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, discusses her unconventional path from business student and injured college athlete to pediatric nurse, educator, and national simulation leader. She describes how precepting in the NICU sparked her love of teaching and how early mock codes in Chicago hospitals grew into a research-backed, interprofessional simulation program that improved confidence and teamwork in emergencies. Dr. Kilroy outlines Villanova’s vision for a reimagined sim center featuring an immersive 3D “street-to-OR-to-home” environment, AI-enabled VR headsets for independent practice with real-time feedback, and control-room and ambient analytics that strengthen clinical judgment rather than replace it. She also explores virtual nursing and care-coordination models, the impact of technology on access and cost, and the importance of using AI wisely while keeping eyes and hands on the patient. Finally, Sue calls for stronger bridges between academia and health systems so students, new grads, and practicing clinicians can learn together across settings. 

Tune in and learn how simulation, AI, and new care models are reshaping nursing education and practice!

About Sue Kilroy:
Susan Kilroy, PhD, RN, CHSE, is a nationally recognized leader in simulation-based nursing education and the inaugural holder of the Kreider Endowed Professorship in Health Care Simulation and Innovation at Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. With a career defined by scholarship, innovation, and strategic leadership, she is advancing the college’s simulation initiatives, strengthening partnerships, and expanding Villanova’s presence in the national and international simulation community. 

Before joining Villanova, Dr. Kilroy served as Associate Professor and Director of the Paley Interprofessional Simulation Lab at Temple University and previously led the launch of the M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning and Simulation Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago, earning honors such as the Dean’s Faculty Catalyst Award and recognition as a Pinnacle Nurse Leader. 

Her funded research explores the use of simulation to assess interprofessional collaboration, clinical skill development, and community-level factors such as bias, racism, and social determinants of health in care for underserved populations. A widely published scholar and invited speaker, Dr. Kilroy brings deep expertise supported by a second degree accelerated BSN from Villanova, a PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Illinois Chicago, an MSN from Gonzaga University, and a BS in Business from Mount Saint Mary’s College.



Resources:


  
Connect with and follow Sue Kilroy on LinkedIn.



  
Follow Villanova University's M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing on LinkedIn and explore their website!



  
Learn more about the SIMULATION INSTITUTE 2026 here.



  
Discover more about the Annual Research Symposium here.

Episode #57. Simulation Labs Are Becoming The New Front Line Of Nursing Education, with Dr. Susan Kilroy, inaugural Endowed Professor in Healthcare Simulation and Innovation

My program of research centers on advancing health equity through simulation based education. I design and evaluate simulation interventions that strengthen interprofessional collaborative practice, enhance nursing clinical skills, and highlight community level factors such as bias, racism, and social determinants of health that influence care for underserved populations. I also bring extensive experience working with individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and women navigating the perinatal period without adequate support. This work reflects my longstanding commitment to using simulation, collaboration, and evidence based educational strategies to prepare a nursing workforce capable of delivering equitable, person centered care.

I have a strong and diverse background in nursing education across clinical and academic settings, including roles as a clinical nurse educator, Director of Nursing Education at a Level I trauma center, Director of Simulation at multiple universities, and Associate Professor. Having worked at two of the most diverse universities in the country (University of Illinois Chicago and Temple University) I have supported disadvantaged nursing students from admission through graduation. My efforts include developing and implementing mentorship programs, clinical skills workshops, and tutoring initiatives designed to promote student success and retention. My expertise spans conceptual and practical domains of nursing education, including intervention development, implementation, and evaluation, as well as mixed methods research. I have served as an investigator on national and federally funded grants and currently serve as Chair of the Pediatric Simulation Committee for the International Society for Simulation in Healthcare. 

Over the past seven years, I have directed two simulation laboratories and led educational operations in a Level I trauma center, experiences that have strengthened my fiscal management, organizational leadership, and ability to coordinate large, multidisciplinary teams.

With my combined strengths in leadership, research, simulation based education, and commitment to supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds, I am well positioned to serve nursing education. I am dedicated to advancing a diverse, culturally responsive nursing workforce prepared to meet the needs of underserved communities.

Simulation Based Education

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice

Interprofessional Education

Social Determinants of Health

Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Nursing Clinical Skills

Underserved Populations

Nurse Practitioner Student Perceptions of a Multimodal Telemedicine Clinical Course

New Training Focuses on Patients with Disabilities

In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the challenges faced by clinicians are mounting. Join host Molly McCarthy MBA RN-BC, former US Microsoft CNO, as she leads captivating conversations with today’s health leaders about the game-changing potential of AI and Ambient Intelligence for care teams. Brought to you by the Alliance for Smart Healthcare Excellence. Get more details at https://smarthospital.ai/

The Smart Care Team Spotlight

Developing an Academic Birth Companion Program

Utilizing simulation-based education to address bias, racism, and social  determinants of health when caring for Black birthing families: a feasibility study among prelicensure nursing students

Deliberate Practice of Critical Nursing Skills and Assessment of  Competencies: A Multi-Site Study

Kreider Endowed Professor for Healthcare Simulation and Innovation

A video entry in our college's online Faces on the Front series, documenting the pandemic year from the viewpoints of UIC Nursing faculty, students and alumni. Released to coincide with National Nurses Week 2021, the production was funded by generous donors and was the result of a collaboration between the UIC College of Nursing and the UIC College of Architecture, Design and the Arts. 

See the full series: https://nursing.uic.edu/news-stories/faces-on-the-front/

Faces on the Front

The Illinois Medical District

The Nursing Resource Center at Temple’s Health Sciences Center campus is a simulation-based learning environment that utilizes state-of-the-art technology to replicate clinical practice in a safe environment. Nursing students are able to develop their critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills by participating in real-life situations in a controlled simulated setting with guidance from faculty.

Students are introduced to simulation-based learning during their first nursing course, returning to the simulation lab every semester to participate in a variety of patient and community scenarios that increase in complexity as your nursing knowledge and skill grows.

Paley Hall, scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 on the site of the former Samuel L. Paley Library, will be a state-of-the-art home for the College of Public Health, its central location on Temple’s campus reflecting the importance of public health education at the university, in Philadelphia, and globally. It will be the first unified home for the College of Public Health, whose diverse fields of study including nursing, social work, epidemiology and kinesiology have been spread across 12 buildings and two campuses.   

The 306,000-square-foot facility will offer learning and collaboration spaces, training and simulation centers, meeting and study rooms, café areas, an expanded Social Services Annex for students, faculty and administration offices, and a Temple bookstore with a separate entrance. 

To learn more about the nursing major at Temple University please visit: https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/nursing-major-hp-nurs-bsnu

Nursing Simulation at the Temple University College of Public Health

Select Inquiry Type