l1007: SCPL Psychological Safety– External Participants (Non-UTHealth Houston)
- Effective Date: August 2026
- Date Reviewed: $date.format('MMMM yyyy',$!{policyDetail.dateReviewed})
Subject
Psychological Safety
Scope
External Faculty/facilitator and external learners/observers (non-UTHealth Houston)
Responsible Office
Simulation Council
Responsible Executive
Dean, Cizik School of Nursing
Policy and General Statement
All external participants (non-UHTealth Houston) facilitating, participating, or observing simulation activities in the SCPL will be provided with psychological safety during simulation activities.
Definitions
SCPL is committed to ensuring a psychologically safe, supportive, and positive learning environment for all UTHealth Houston participants involved in simulation activities. Psychological safety is defined as “a feeling (explicit or implicit) within a simulation-based activity that participants are comfortable participating, speaking up, sharing thoughts, and asking for help as needed without concern for retribution or embarrassment” (Lioce et al., 2020, p. 38).
External (non-UTHealth) Participants include:
- External Faculty/Facilitators
- External Learners/Observers
Procedure
A. External (non-UTHealth) Faculty/Facilitators and Learners/Observers
1. It is expected that external (non-UTHealth) participants/Facilitators and Learners/Observers are aware of the SCPL’s psychological safety policy and procedure.
B. Simulation Activity Overview
1.Before any simulation activity, it is expected that the lead CSON faculty/lead UTHealth faculty/lead facilitators for the simulation course or event will provide faculty facilitators with an overview of the simulation activity (objectives, simulation modality, scenario/case/activity, fidelity, facilitation approach, prebriefing, debriefing, evaluation if
applicable).
2. Before any simulation activity, it is expected that the faculty/facilitators or learners and
observers for the simulation activity will provide their learners/observers participating in the
simulation activity an overview of the simulation activity (objectives, prebriefing, facilitation
method, debriefing, evaluation if applicable).
3. An external (non-UTHealth)Faculty/Facilitator or Learners/Observers can opt out of the
simulation activity if they feel it may lead to psychological distress or psychological safety
concerns.
C. Compromised Psychological Safety - External (non-UTHealth) Faculty/Facilitator and
Learners/Observers
1. If an external (non-UTHealth)Faculty/Facilitator and Learners/Observers feels
psychological safety is compromised during any phase of the simulation activity, the person
may verbally communicate to another faculty/facilitator member or to the students/learners
participating in the simulation activity that they need to exit the simulation/skills lab.
2. If the external (non-UTHealth) Faculty/Facilitators or Learners/Observers cannot return
to the simulation activity, the person will inform the Assistant Dean for Simulation/Simulation
Nurse Educator using the QR code for SCPL Assistance Needed.
3. The Assistant Dean for Simulation/Simulation Nurse Educator/Lead Faculty will assess the
person’s psychological safety concerns.
4. If external (non-UTHealth) faculty/facilitators/learners/observers cannot return to the
simulation activity due to psychological safety concerns, the person will be sent home if
deemed safe and referred to their organization’s assistance program.
5. If external (non-UTHealth) faculty/facilitators/learners/observers cannot return to the
simulation activity and cannot be sent home safely, their emergency contact will be notified
to take the person home.
6. A SCPL Psychological Safety Incident Report will be completed to document the event
(Appendix A).
7. The lead faculty/lead facilitator/Assistant Dean for Simulation/Assistant Deans for the
Undergraduate and Graduate Department/Associate Deans for the Undergraduate and
Graduate Department will follow up with the outcome of the person’s psychological concern
event.
Contacts
Chair of Undergraduate Department
Chair of Graduate Department
Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Department
Assistant Dean for Graduate Department
Assistant Dean for Simulation UTHealth
Student Health and Counseling
Emergency Crisis Hotline for Students
UTHealth Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Exhibits
Lioce L. (Ed.), Lopreiato J. (Founding Ed.), Downing D., Chang T.P., Robertson J.M., Anderson M.,
Diaz D.A., and Spain A.E. (Assoc. Eds.) and the Terminology and Concepts Working Group
(2020), Healthcare Simulation Dictionary –Second Edition. Rockville, MD: Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality; September 2020. AHRQ Publication No. 20-0019. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23970/simulationv2
