Reality, Simulated—AI in Healthcare Education

When a nursing student steps into the ER, theory becomes practice. When a new therapist takes their first client, there’s no double-checking. Healthcare students study diligently—but what does it really mean to prepare for the real-life realities of patient care?

That’s where Pace’s Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation (CEHS) comes in. Also known as the simulation lab, CEHS was developed by Patty Myers, now assistant dean of accreditation for the College of Health Professions. The simulation lab is available on both the New York City and Pleasantville campuses—you may have seen its manikins featured online. Both centers mimic real-life clinical settings such as emergency rooms, hospital units, home settings, and doctor’s offices, giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while still having the space to learn.

The lab is continuously evolving.

Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding the scope, depth, and accessibility of these simulations, reshaping how healthcare students train for the demands of patient care.

Nancy Owen, the director of CEHS, has worked in simulation since 2015, drawing on her background in nursing and nursing education. “The lab is continuously evolving,” she explains. She has seen firsthand how that development is accelerated by the integration of AI. “Simulation is really accelerating as we speak,” she says. “These AI-driven systems are technologies that did not exist until now.”

These AI-enabled simulations allow faculty to guide students through deeper, more reflective learning. “Following simulation standards, faculty prepare students, next they have an interaction with the AI avatar, and then we debrief afterwards,” says Owen. “It’s very positive for learning… We dive deeper into what learners did, how they could improve, and what they discovered. She adds, “It’s not replacing other modalities—it’s enhancing our ability to design clinical encounters and measure competencies.”

It’s not replacing other modalities—it’s enhancing our ability to design clinical encounters and measure competencies.

In Fall 2025, students in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program (PMHNP), under the leadership of Laura Kelly, PhD, and Gabrielle Ranger-Murdock, PhD, were the first to pilot this technology. With the introduction of AI, the PMHNP faculty have been able to create unfolding patient cases; have students use screening instruments for anxiety, depression, and trauma; and practice consultation skills. The PMHNP students participated in a “clinic day” experience, where each student independently conducted interviews with multiple patients —an activity that is not possible with traditional simulation modalities.

In the undergraduate nursing program, simulation educators Aimee Smith and Nancy Harrison, created a case for pediatrics students. The child or patient in the case is nonverbal, so the AI encounter was designed for learners to interact with the child’s mother, adding a new experience with guardian communication. “The AI models conversations that help develop students’ communication skills, empathy, and ability to respond to difficult conversations,” says Owen. “It's not just technical skills we need to develop, but also cognitive thinking, competency, compassion and clinical judgment.”

It's not just technical skills we need to develop, but also cognitive thinking, competency, compassion and clinical judgment.

In the near future, CHP’s patient manikins may receive an AI upgrade. “Usually sim technologists sit behind the glass speaking for the manikins and answering questions during the case, ” Owen explains. “Now there are manikins with built in AI technology, so learners can literally have a direct conversation with them.” This is something for CHP to look forward to.

These AI platform can also evaluate student performance using faculty-developed rubrics that assess diagnostic accuracy and empathetic communication. Faculty start with prebuilt simulations, such as a patient with diabetes, and adjust them to align with objectives and course goals—creating more personalized learning experiences while reducing grading time and allowing greater focus on student engagement.

According to Owen, both students and faculty have responded positively to the new AI-enabled simulations. The programs aren’t perfect—Owen recalls one AI avatar who kept referring to everyone as “honey.” That moment underscores a measured approach to adoption. While AI continues to improve, its use in the simulation lab is intentional and guided. “There's a place for AI,” Owen explains. “We’re trying to see where it fits, what's the best usage of this type of product.”

What we do here in the College of Health Professions is prepare students for exactly what they will encounter when they graduate and enter clinical practice.

Even as AI expands what’s possible in simulation, human-centered experiences remain essential. “One of the highlights of our center is our standardized patient program, which is where live actors come in and perform for the students,” Owen says. “We're accredited through the Association of Standardized Patient Educators which is unique to simulation centers.” While AI offers scalable, customizable practice, standardized patients provide the nuance of real human interaction—preparing students for the realities of clinical care.

As AI becomes more ubiquitous across industries, keeping up with change is part of preparing for the future. For students in the simulation lab, that future is already taking shape. “Students need to be aware of how things are changing,” says Owen. “What we do here in the College of Health Professions is prepare students for exactly what they will encounter when they graduate and enter clinical practice.”

At Pace’s Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation, that preparation is already happening—one simulation at a time.