On Saturday 8 Feb 2025, Add Lib held a simulated participant training course and I was invited to attend this session. The workshop was facilitated by Libby Harrison and Lisa Wheildon. Both had extensive experiences as SPs as well as SP educators.
The course is unique as it was a SP-led training and focused the training from the SP perspective. It was not a session that was specific to a particular scenario or role. Rather it was a general training for SPs to prepare them for future roles that they may undertake.
There were a good mix of participants with SP experiences and some who did not have any experiences at all. The participants included professional actors as well as non-actors.
The workshop covered strategies for SPs to work with when they are given scenarios. For example, questions to ask educators to establish boundaries for the performance during the simulation, the process of briefing, giving feedback, common terminologies in scenarios that SPs may come across and personal processes of de-roling.
Libby and Lisa also covered administrative considerations including remuneration, public liability cover and potential leads for SP work. They also stressed the importance of the educational needs of the scenario (that is, the learning objectives) and how the SPs need to work within these boundaries.
The training was structured to include practice runs of a scenario, and feedback on the performance (from the facilitators and peers). The session’s casual atmosphere allowed a good discussion to occur. The sharing of information and insights between Libby, Lisa and the participants were valuable.
For novices, such workshops can provide an understanding of what is SP work and provide a starting point. On the other hand, for those experienced, a workshop like this can offer opportunities to compare notes with each other, refine their craft but also perhaps to consider things that they may not have covered before in their own practice. It also provided networking opportunity for the SPs.
Learn more about Add Lib and their future SP training courses via their website here.
This blog SPN blog entry is written by Jennifer Harlim