When someone asks me to explain what makes CHSE and CHSOS different from other credentials in the simulation space, I give them a single sentence: they are the only healthcare simulation certification programs in the world accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
NCCA accreditation is the most rigorous independent validation available for professional certification programs. It is not automatic, it is not permanent, and it is not earned by meeting a basic checklist. It requires years of evidence-based development, ongoing psychometric review by independent data scientists, and a willingness to open your processes to external scrutiny on a continuing basis.
So what does this mean for you as a candidate or credential holder?
It means that when your institution, your department chair, or a prospective employer sees CHSE or CHSOS after your name, they can verify what those letters represent. They do not have to take SSH's word for it. The NCCA's recognition is public, searchable, and independent.
It also means the credential reflects actual practice.
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Prepare With SSH — CHSE & CHSOS Review Courses
SSH builds the prep resources too. CHSE and CHSOS cohort programs and self-paced review courses are available through the Live Learning Center — all aligned to the actual exam. Cohorts are enrolling now.
The exam blueprints are built from large-scale analyses of what healthcare simulationists actually do in the field — not what someone believed they should do, not what a textbook recommends. Every question goes through rigorous review by subject matter experts who are actively doing this work. Nothing appears on the exam simply because someone thought it seemed important.
There are other credentials and continuing education offerings in adjacent spaces, and many serve real purposes. But none carry NCCA accreditation for healthcare simulation. That is not a criticism of other programs. It is a fact about where the independent verification standard has been met.
If you currently hold a CHSE or CHSOS: the credential after your name carries independent recognition that no other healthcare simulation credential can claim. That is worth knowing and worth saying when someone asks.
For those still considering certification, learn more at ssih.org/chse or ssih.org/chsos.
Until next time: be excellent to each other, and go get certified.
Rachel Araujo
SSH Director of Certification