Dr. Sandra Goldsworthy, PhD, MSc, CNCC(C), CMSN(C), CCSNE

Administrative Title: Professor and Chair, School of Nursing & Midwifery

Contact Information
Office: Y431
email: sgoldsworthy@mtroyal.ca

Dr. Sandra Goldsworthy is a nurse education leader who is internationally recognized as a simulation and critical care expert, researcher and author. She is the recipient of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation in Learning (INACSL) Excellence in Research Award and the Canadian Nurses’ Association Order of Merit in Education. Sandra has over 70 peer-reviewed publications, including 12 books, and frequently presents her research nationally and internationally.

Dr. Goldsworthy is currently a Professor and Chair of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Mount Royal University. In addition, she held a Research Professorship in Simulation from 2015 to 2019 at the University of Calgary. Dr. Goldsworthy was previously an inaugural Teaching Scholar at the University of Calgary and a Teaching Chair of Online and Virtual Learning at Nipissing University. Sandra holds three national certifications: Canadian Nurses Association credentials in Critical Care and Medical Surgical Nursing as well as Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Canadian Certified Nurse Simulation Educator credential (CCNSE). She is a member of several national and international committees, including her roles as Director of Education for the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses Association and Co-chair of the CASN Simulation Interest Group. Dr. Goldsworthy is passionate about improving patient safety and provider preparation through simulation. Her research program focuses on the impact of simulation in building competence in recognition and response to the deteriorating patient, reduction of medication errors and improving health team communication competencies through interprofessional simulation education.

Areas of Instruction

• Simulation
• Critical Care
• Medical Surgical
  
  

Areas of Scholarship

• Simulation
• Critical Care Nursing

Teaching Pattern

Teaching-Scholarship-Service

Selected Publications

Goldsworthy, S., Weeks, K., Abdulmohdi, Baron, S., McCullough, K., Muir, N., Sears, K., Weeks, A., Perez, G., Moseley, L., Bown, M., Pontin, D. (2026). Effect of exposure to asynchronous virtual clinical environments on actual/perceived competence in drug dosage calculation: a pilot study. International Journal of Nursing Education, 18 (1). 55-65

Goldsworthy, S., Harris, J., McLellan, H., & Feist, H. (2025). Ready for practice! Virtual simulation in critical care and emergency nursing education. The Canadian Journal of Critical Care Nursing, 36(3), 17–17. DOI: 10.5737/23688653-36317

Verkuyl, M., Attack, L., Violato, E., Harder, N., Southam, T., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Goldsworthy, S., Ellis, W., & Campbell, S. (2024). Student survey results from a pan- Canadian virtual simulation program. Advances in Simulation, 9(1), O22.

Verkuyl, M., Attack, L., Violato, E., Harder, N., Southam, T., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Goldsworthy, S., Ellis, W., & Campbell, S. “Student survey results from a pan-Canadian virtual simulation program” Society in Europe for Simulation conference. June 18-21, 2024, Prague, Czech Republic. Best Abstract Award Winner – Patient Safety category.

Goldsworthy, S. (editor) (2026) World Federation of Critical Care International Best Practices in Critical Care (3rd ed.), wfccn.org, https://wfccn.org/resources/ebook/

Verkuyl, M., Violato, E., Harder, N., Southam, T., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Goldsworthy, S., Ellis, W., Campbell, S. , Atack, L.(2024). Virtual simulation in healthcare education: a multi-professional, pan-Canadian evaluation. Adv Simul 9, 3, https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-023-00276-x

Goldsworthy, S., Baron, S., Muir, N., Button, D., Fasken, L. (2022). International research collaborations: lessons learned and practical tips, Nursing Education Today, 119.

Verkuyl, M., Taplay, K., Job, T., McCarthy, S., Athill, S., Goldsworthy, S., Atack, L. (2022). An educator’s toolkit for virtual simulation: a usability study, Nursing Education Today, 119(2), doi 10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105600

Goldsworthy, S., Goodhand, K., Baron, S., Button, D., & Fasken, L. (2022). Co-debriefing Virtual Simulations: An International Perspective. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 63, 1-4. https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.ecns.2021.10.007.

Heisted, A., Goldsworthy, S., Reilly, S., Perez, G. (2022). How do intensive work environments affect nurses’ absenteeism and turnover intent?,66, Applied Nursing Research, doi 10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151608

Selected Presentations

Goldsworthy, S., Baron, S. (November 2025). Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) conference, Bournemouth, UK

Goldsworthy, S., Wilson-Keates, B. (June 2025) Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM) conference, Valencia, Spain

Goldsworthy, S. (May 2025). World Federation of Critical Care Nursing Conference, Dubai, UAE.

May 2025 MRU Teaching and Learning Conference, Calgary, Canada (3 invited presentations)

Goldsworthy, S. (May 2024). World Federation of Critical Care Nursing Conference, Dubai, UAE.

Goldsworthy, S., Verkuyl, M. (October 2024) Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, (2 invited presentations)

Goldsworthy, S., Baron, S., Muir, N. (September 2023) Royal College of Nurses Research Conference, Manchester, UK

Goldsworthy, S., Baron, S., Goodhand, K., Muir, N. (October 2022) NETNEP International Nurse Education Conference, Sitges, Spain, 3 invited presentations.

Community Service

• Board of Directors, World Federation of Critical Care
• Immediate Past Co-Chair of CASN Simulation Interest Group
• Editorial Advisory Board for Canadian Journal of Critical Care Nursing
• International Journal of Critical Care and Clinical Simulation in Nursing