Perioperative Leadership Webinar
27,000+ Perioperative Simulations: 7 Expert Practices that University Hospitals Learned Over 10 Years
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
12 PM Pacific | 3 PM Eastern
Co-sponsored by the Competency & Credentialing Institute:
Save Your Seat Today
Ten years. 579 Learners. More than 27,000 Simulation Experiences. University Hospitals’ perioperative education team knows what works when integrating simulation into nurse education. Join the team on September 16 as they reveal seven expert practices, research findings, and lessons learned—from the data behind their successful program to the human experiences that have shaped it. Plus, hear what’s new from CCI and Conquer Experience, including new opportunities to build perioperative competency while earning points toward CNOR® and Specialty Designation recertification.
Join Marissa Cancellieri, MSN, RN, Perioperative Education Team Lead, Dr. Courtney Speziale, DNP, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, Nursing Professional Development Specialist, and Kimberly Feeley, BSN, RN, Perioperative Nursing Professional Development Specialist, from University Hospitals in Cleveland as they share a decade of experience incorporating virtual simulation into perioperative education, successfully preparing their perioperative nurses for the realities of the OR.
At the center of their story is Dr. Speziale’s research into the impact of simulation on perioperative nurse education, which found that incorporating PeriopSim reduced the classroom portion of training by three weeks, allowing Learners to begin precepted OR orientation three weeks sooner, while building confidence and competence for the operating room.
The UH team will be joined by CCI Director of Credentialing Dr. Tabitha Kinlaw, MBA, DNP, MSN(Ed), RN, NPDA-BC, NPD-BC, CNOR-ORTHO, ONC, and Conquer Experience CEO Angela Robert to share how their new partnership enables eligible nurses to earn points toward CNOR® and Specialty Designation recertification by completing PeriopSim Simulations.
Whether you lead perioperative education, manage an OR team, or are building your own clinical expertise, you’ll leave with practical lessons from a trailblazing healthcare system with 10 years of experience putting immersive surgical simulation into practice to build OR-readiness. RSVP today!
“I think it’s great that we have such advanced technology to offer our Learners. It improves patient care because it’s improving patient safety, having them practice in a simulated setting before going into the actual operating room.”
– Marissa Cancellieri MSN, RN, Perioperative Education Team Lead, University Hospitals
Webinar Speakers
Marissa Cancellieri MSN, RN
Perioperative Education Team Lead | University Hospitals
Marissa Cancellieri MSN, RN has been a Registered Nurse for eight years, with the past seven years dedicated to the perioperative setting. She began her perioperative nursing career as a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Clinical Nurse before transitioning into the role of PACU Clinical Educator after one year. In 2021, Marissa advanced into a Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Specialist position, where she had the privilege of collaborating with an exceptional team of Operating Room (OR) and PACU educators. After several years in the NPD role, Marissa assumed the position of Lead Perioperative Educator.
Throughout her career, she has been fortunate to work alongside talented colleagues whose expertise and willingness to share their knowledge have greatly influenced her own professional growth. Marissa credits her team for fostering a collaborative learning environment that has strengthened both her leadership and educational practice.
Alongside her career progression, Marissa earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Ohio University. She is passionate about supporting the professional development of perioperative nurses, promoting evidence-based practice, and helping build confident, competent staff dedicated to delivering high-quality patient care.
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Dr. Courtney Speziale, DNP, RN CNOR NPD-BC
Nursing Professional Development Specialist | University Hospitals
Dr. Courtney Speziale DNP, RN CNOR NPD-BC is a Perioperative Nursing Professional Development Specialist with University Hospitals in Northeast Ohio. She has 10 years of experience in the perioperative space, starting as a Circulator and Scrub Nurse in 2016.
After receiving her Master’s in Nursing Education (MSN) in 2019, she transferred into perioperative education. Her thesis for her MSN was focused on PeriopSim and the benefits it brought to the organization by decreasing training time in the classroom by 3 weeks and decreasing new nurse anxiety as they entered the operating room (OR).
Dr. Speziale went on to then receive her Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a focus on Healthcare Organizational Systems Leadership. Her dissertation examined new graduate nurses in the OR that had completed an OR clinical rotation, and their confidence in identifying patient safety concerns.
Dr. Speziale has played an integral role in the continued use of PeriopSim in her organizations’ training programs and led the initiative to bring the Virtual Reality component to UH. She is committed to making the OR a safe space for patients while promoting a welcoming learning environment.
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Kimberly Anne Feeley, BSN, RN
Perioperative Nursing Professional Development Specialist | University Hospitals
Kimberly Feeley, BSN, RN is a Perioperative Nursing Professional Development Specialist with University Hospitals in Northeast Ohio. She brings 30 years of diverse perioperative experience, having worked in healthcare organizations across seven states, from Massachusetts to California. Her career has included experience in both teaching hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers, providing her with a broad perspective on perioperative nursing, surgical procedures, patient safety, education, and teamwork.
Throughout her career, Kim has gained extensive hands-on experience as both a circulating and scrub nurse, developing a comprehensive understanding of the perioperative environment and the unique responsibilities of each role. Her clinical experience spans a wide variety of surgical specialties and settings, allowing her to develop strong clinical judgment, adaptability, and a deep understanding of the importance of effective communication and teamwork in the operating room.
In addition to her clinical experience, Kim has management and leadership experience, providing her with valuable insight into staff development, team dynamics, operational processes, and the challenges of leading perioperative teams. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of mentoring nurses, surgical technologists, and other healthcare professionals, supporting their professional growth and development.
Over the past two years, Kim has expanded her passion for nursing education by teaching and sharing her knowledge and clinical experience with the next generation of nurses. She has been trained and actively involved with the PeriopSim platform, developing a strong understanding of its functionality and educational applications. She continues to support the program as part of the onboarding process for new perioperative cohorts, using simulation to help learners strengthen clinical knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills.
Tabitha Kinlaw, MBA, DNP, MSN(Ed), RN, NPDA-BC, NPD-BC, CNOR-ORTHO, ONC
Director of Credentialing Services | Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI)
Tabitha Kinlaw MBA, DNP, MSN(Ed), RN, NPDA-BC, NPD-BC, CNOR-ORTHO, ONC is the Director of Credentialing Services of the Competency & Credentialing Institute. Her professional interests include professional credentialing, assessment, and leadership.
Dr. Kinlaw holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Edgewood University and dual master’s degrees in nursing education and business administration. She is board-certified in multiple specialties, including Nursing Professional Development, Perioperative Nursing, and Orthopaedic Nursing.
With over 30 years of experience spanning clinical, academic, and executive leadership roles, Dr. Kinlaw brings a uniquely comprehensive perspective to credentialing. Her career has included service as a circulator, team leader, charge nurse, manager, and educator—each role sharpening her understanding of the real-world impact of validated competencies and lifelong learning.
At CCI, Dr. Kinlaw oversees the strategic direction and operational execution of credentialing programs that serve thousands of nursing professionals nationwide. Her leadership ensures that CCI’s credentialing programs remain rigorous, relevant, and responsive to the evolving needs of the healthcare workforce. She leads with strategic vision, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to advancing the standards of nursing through high-impact certification programs.
LinkedIn
Angela Robert
CEO and Co-founder | Conquer Experience
Angela Robert is CEO and Co-Founder at Conquer Experience, the company behind PeriopSim — a VR simulation and assessment platform transforming how perioperative nurses and surgical technologists train for success in the OR.
Angela began her career as a software engineer at IBM and Scotiabank before spending nearly a decade at Electronic Arts, where she led development on 20 titles including the Skate franchise. She channeled that expertise in immersive technology toward a mission that matters: improving patient safety by making surgical training faster, more rigorous, and more accessible.
Since co-founding Conquer Experience in 2018, Angela has led the growth of PeriopSim into a platform used by health systems, colleges, and online education platforms across North America. To date, over 10,000 learners have completed more than 900,000 simulations — which translates to over 100,000 patients who had a trained, quantitatively assessed clinician in the room during their procedure.
PeriopSim gives Perioperative RNs and Surgical Technologists a way to practice and demonstrate core competency on procedures outside the OR — before they’re standing in it. Three peer-reviewed RCTs validate what customers already know: PeriopSim accelerates time-to-competency up to 6x faster than traditional training methods. Powered by VR, PeriopSim is a competency platform that works across modalities to assess, track, and validate clinical readiness at scale. Guided by its values — Learning, Impact, Innovation, and Teamwork — and a commitment to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education), the company believes simulation training isn’t just a resource-saver. It’s a patient safety imperative.
Emily Smith
Customer Success Manager | Conquer Experience
Emily brings over 8 years of customer success experience spanning healthcare, education, and technology. Her CS journey began at the International Olympic Committee, where she designed and launched onboarding and training programs for global broadcast partners — giving her a strong foundation in large-scale, high-stakes implementation from day one.
Most recently, Emily led customer success for an immersive training platform focused on geriatric care, helping healthcare professionals deepen their understanding of the medical conditions and lived experiences of older adults.
Now at Conquer Experience, Emily is passionate about helping perioperative educators bridge the gap between theory and practice using the PeriopSim platform. She’s particularly drawn to PeriopSim’s ability to not just deliver simulation experiences, but to assess and surface the learning achieved — giving educators the data they need to clearly demonstrate training effectiveness to their organizations.
Emily looks forward to partnering with you to drive meaningful training success for your OR staff.
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