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Tess Vawser discusses the benefits of the VSA
31 Plays28 days ago
Tess is a Clinical Associate Professor, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne and Director of Clinical Education and Simulation, Epworth HealthCare. She is also a VSA - Victorian Simulation Alliance board member and she sat down with us to discuss the benefits of being a subscriber.
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:41
Jenny
Welcome everybody to the simulation happy hour. I'm Jenny.
00:00:47
Melanie Barlow
I'm Mel and Jane is on her way, stuck in traffic.
00:00:48
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
I'm Kerry
00:00:55
Jenny
Great. Today we are very fortunate to have the lovely Tess Vawser us. So welcome Tess and thank you very much for joining us today.
00:01:03
Tess Vawser
Thanks, ladies. welcome Glad to be here.
00:01:06
Jenny
Yes. So Tess, if you don't know the lovely Tess Vawser Tess is the Director of Clinical Education and Simulation at the Epworth epworth Healthcare and is a board member of the Victorian Simulation Alliance and its other name, you might see it as VicSim, where Tess contributes to statewide simulation education standards and training initiatives.
Tess Boiser's Contributions to Simulation Education
00:01:30
Jenny
TESS's leadership in simulation and education includes establishing high fidelity simulation centres, developing facilitator training programs and designing simulation-based curricula for healthcare professionals.
00:01:46
Jenny
Through the Victorian Simulation Alliance, TESS has advanced collaborative efforts in simulation educator training, including contributions to manuals like Training Manual for Simulation Educators. and supported workforce upskilling during the crisis like COVID-19, which none of us can forget.
00:02:07
Jenny
Tess's innovations, such as the PPE spotter role for enhancing staff safety, earned her the 2020 Epworth Medical Leaders Award. Congratulations on that award, Tess.
00:02:19
Tess Vawser
Thank you.
00:02:19
Jenny
And interests along with training the trainer in simulation, broadening now with a wave of translational simulation. So welcome, Tess.
00:02:30
Jenny
That's very impressive bio.
00:02:32
Tess Vawser
Oh, thank you. i was but I've been in SIM for quite a few years, so there's something to add there. So thank you so much for that.
00:02:38
Jenny
Yes, I remember meeting you 2010, I think, Tess, down Victoria.
00:02:42
Tess Vawser
Yeah, it was but that was probably when we first established the Vic-SIM alliance or or it might have been when pre the
00:02:49
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Thank
00:02:51
Tess Vawser
SBE days, all those days.
Establishing Vic-SIM and the Victorian Simulation Alliance
00:02:52
Tess Vawser
Oh, wow, that was so long ago, wasn't it? Yeah.
00:02:54
Jenny
Yeah, it was down at Homescland with the lovely Monica pedal. So, yeah, was long.
00:02:57
Tess Vawser
Yeah, that's right, when we first started some Train the Trainer. Yeah, absolutely.
00:03:01
Jenny
Yeah.
00:03:01
Tess Vawser
Thank you.
00:03:02
Jenny
So tell me, Tess, what is your role within the sim the Victorian simulation lines, please?
00:03:02
Tess Vawser
Yeah.
00:03:07
Tess Vawser
Yeah, so I've been involved with the, well, VSA, I think we'd call it, Victorian Simulation, diet for but actually ever since it was established back
00:03:09
Melanie Barlow
Thank you.
00:03:16
Tess Vawser
2010 as a board member and really just helping support the development and the direction of the Alliance over the years. A lot of my involvement really been focused around the events and just building that sense of community. i think You'll probably hear me say community a little bit because that's all about what I'd like to do.
00:03:34
Tess Vawser
making sure that you know we are helping the health professionals. Predominantly it was originally educators with a really strong community of practice around simulation. More recently, like at you said, my role has shifted a bit towards helping the alliance strengthen collaboration across the sector, really better connecting the health services, like the universities and educators with building capacity.
00:03:56
Tess Vawser
What we're really concentrating a little bit more now on is particularly supporting the move towards translational simulation with that more systems focused approach, which I think is really making the biggest impact or will in the future.
00:04:03
Jenny
Thank you.
00:04:09
Melanie Barlow
Great, thanks Tess. So what is VSA's current priorities?
00:04:15
Tess Vawser
too Yeah, look, the vision is really about connecting the simulation community It's sorry, it's really focused. We've just had another strategic planning. So we're really focused on the few key priorities with the vision of connecting simulation communities.
00:04:32
Tess Vawser
The collaborations, that's where we're hoping to bring you know them all together through networking and shared knowledge. You can see that with actions like the the webinars that VSA have and the events that we've been having over the many years, slowly but surely, and especially especially our interprofessional simulation simulation symposiums where we all sort of come together from different organisations and different disciplines.
00:04:57
Melanie Barlow
Yeah.
00:05:00
Jenny
I guess word that it's a solution.
00:05:00
Tess Vawser
We're really focused, so we're starting to increase and focus on collaborative research and partnerships. We're putting together another website. So we've sort over the years, there's been three different websites. There's another one coming. So watch that space for that, just so that we can help grow the and the reach and impact of simulation.
00:05:19
Tess Vawser
More recently, a little bit more around advocacy influence. So really connecting people, sharing practice and making sure we're working together rather than in silos.
00:05:31
Melanie Barlow
And I am a Queenslander, although my role is national, but I'm a member of VSA because although I might not get to the Victorian in-person events, like the webinars are great and they're open to anyone.
00:05:39
Tess Vawser
Mm-hmm.
00:05:46
Tess Vawser
Mm.
00:05:47
Melanie Barlow
So if you're not in Victoria, like, yeah, like I'm in Queensland, I still get a lot of benefit personally.
00:05:56
Tess Vawser
Yeah, yeah, thanks for that Mel, and you've recently come on and helping us with our events and things. so
00:06:02
Melanie Barlow
Yeah.
00:06:04
Tess Vawser
So I'm going to jump to how you can join. Is that okay? Because I'm thinking while we're on the VSA, so we used to be like a membership base, but now we're a subscriber base. So it doesn't cost you anything to actually join.
00:06:18
Tess Vawser
It's pretty easy to get involved. You just go onto to the VSA website. I know when we were looking at VSA for a domain name, we had to go with Vixim.
00:06:28
Tess Vawser
So it's vixim.org.au. And then once you so subscribe subscribe, you actually become a member of the community of practice. So you get access. So there's another wall behind where you can get access to the shared resources. And that way you're then linked into the education material, recorded webinars, and hopefully we' more around the research
Translational Simulation and Healthcare Outcomes
00:06:51
Tess Vawser
and some shared tools with some scenarios.
00:06:52
Jenny
Thank you.
00:06:54
Tess Vawser
So with our new website, it'll be much more contemporary. So it'll look good. It is coming out in the next couple of weeks. So subscribe onto the old website, then we'll get you linked in with the new one.
00:07:06
Tess Vawser
and And then there's an event section which will look at what sort of events are coming and past events that you can access also. And there's recordings of the past events. So if anyone's, you know, really encourage anyone interested in the simulation to jump online, sign up and tap into the community.
00:07:23
Tess Vawser
So I think it' it's www.vicsim.org.au. So there's a little plug for the VSA.
00:07:32
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Tess, Carrie's here. I'm just wondering, before I ask my question, I just want to go back to a key word that you said before, which was the translational simulation. Can you tell me, little our our listeners, a little bit more about what you actually mean by that?
00:07:51
Tess Vawser
Yeah, I know I was trying to get my head around the term around translational simulation instead of systems testing because over the years we've been utilising simulation to test systems.
00:07:58
Jenny
Just keep it on me.
00:08:04
Tess Vawser
I know when we opened up a new hospital in Geelong years a few years back, we system tested the whole of the hospital, a whole week of simulations. know For every area, it was quite amazing. But I don't know if I ever thought I would call it translation. I didn't know about the translational simulation term.
00:08:24
Tess Vawser
But I think what we're meaning now is it shifts the focus from what we were doing to what why we're doing it, sort of improving the outcomes and aligning with the health services priorities. I think the translational simulation sort of recognises the problems aren't just technical, but they're complex and really a lot more involving sort of the team's systems and context.
00:08:50
Tess Vawser
So it's broader than just testing alone. i so one of the, I saw, i think the easiest way I saw it described was translational simulation is about using simulation, not just a test systems, but to actually diagnose problems and translate learning into better patient care.
00:09:09
Tess Vawser
suppose that sums it up.
00:09:10
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
I really like that last bit that translating into patient care because my thoughts have always been around you know what we do in simulation we translate that knowledge into real world practice so that
00:09:12
Tess Vawser
Yeah.
00:09:21
Tess Vawser
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:22
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
know that that repetition. Thanks for that. my My next question is, that you've you've spoken about joining the Alliance, which is fantastic.
00:09:33
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
So can I ask how does the Alliance support that collaboration between universities, health services and educators?
00:09:42
Tess Vawser
I suppose it really goes back, it's we're hoping it it acts as a connector across the systems. an opportunity for us to all come together, predominantly really around our events too.
00:09:55
Tess Vawser
But the practical terms in, happens in a few ways, like shared resources, offering some education and training. We try and do, we try and do a sort of metropolitan event and then a regional every year.
00:10:11
Tess Vawser
And then we're going national this year, which I can talk about in a little bit. So it's really, we're sort of hoping to reduce the fragmentation and create a platform where everyone is working together.
00:10:23
Tess Vawser
So, don't know, maybe aligning approaches collectively. I mean, if it hadn't been through sort of networking at sort of events, like I might not have met you ladies.
00:10:33
Tess Vawser
So think it's a nice way of us to connect.
00:10:34
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Thank
00:10:38
Tess Vawser
across the system. I think we are quite siloed in well, I think what, I mean, I've predominantly in the hospital
Advice for New Educators in Simulation
00:10:48
Tess Vawser
based simulation space.
00:10:50
Tess Vawser
not so much the academic space, but then crossing over and doing a lot of simulations with our final year medical students and our final year nursing students from different universities. So that was actually a big coup because to try and get two universities to agree that while their students are on placement or that are in at by the clinical schools that they can be taken off the ward so much to do some simulation, but really team-based. And I'm very passionate about the interprofessional.
00:11:24
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
yeah fantastic
00:11:24
Tess Vawser
But then to me, it's also around about, you know, the interdiscipline, obviously, the but also, i don't know, is there a word for if you're from the health sector, from university, from hospitals, from hospitals,
00:11:36
Tess Vawser
community, inter, whatever that will be. You girls will know the word for that, but i' not across that word, but I just think networking yeah and sharing. Yeah, so thanks, Kerry. Good question.
00:11:48
Melanie Barlow
Yeah, you're good at networking, Tess.
00:11:50
Tess Vawser
and I've learned from the best, Mel.
00:11:55
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
you
00:11:56
Jenny
So, Jess, working across all the areas that you're working, what do you see as some of the main challenges facing simulations program simulation programs currently?
00:12:08
Tess Vawser
Yeah, it's interesting that people always want to ask about the challenges and i like to bring everybody back to how we can celebrate the success first. I've just watched over the years how we've embedded simulation education.
00:12:22
Tess Vawser
You know, it's really, to me, it's i it appears so embedded into the higher education curriculum and then what we're achieving in the health sectors. So I think we need to pat ourselves on the back and correct congratulations because we've come a long way in 20 years that I've been involved in, plus more.
00:12:38
Tess Vawser
So, and thanks to you guys too. i think there's a few bigger themes that keep coming across around simulation programs that Probably the first is still with the challenges. so Probably the first is still resourcing and sustainability.
00:12:53
Tess Vawser
like It's expensive to run, especially the high fidelity simulations that we titen technically call them. And scaling across organisations can be really challenging. So the resourcing sustainability.
00:13:10
Tess Vawser
And then I've watched over years around faculty capabilities. We know you know, I'm a real believer that good simulation is really dependent on the facilitators, particularly around debriefing.
00:13:20
Tess Vawser
And there's still a lot of variability in experience and training there. one I think another one of the big is how well it is actually embedded into organisations. I think that varies. I still see that it's something as a nice to have.
00:13:40
Tess Vawser
rather than core business, which makes us harder to prioritise and sustain. I think that's probably the three the three main one.
00:13:45
Melanie Barlow
Thank you.
00:13:49
Tess Vawser
Are we still trying to prove that there's an impact, you know, we're good at showing improvements in skills and team performance. But, you know, is it still harder to demonstrate clear links to patient outcomes and consistent improvements?
00:14:01
Tess Vawser
I think that there's, yeah, that's where I think the real shift's happening now. A lot of journals out now. I mean, there was only one journal 25 years ago and trying to get, so I think there's a lot more research around things. So a lot of support, you know, it's not just the happy sheet and reporting on the happy sheet.
00:14:23
Tess Vawser
Everybody loved it. So, you know, I think it's less about where the simulation works anymore, but it's more about how we scale it better and make sure it's effective at a systems level also.
00:14:37
Melanie Barlow
Good. So then, you know, we are not young educators.
00:14:45
Jenny
Thank you.
00:14:45
Melanie Barlow
Can I speak for all of us? What advice then would you give new people coming on board and coming through in regards to SEM?
00:14:55
Tess Vawser
I was thinking about this, but I'm thinking, I'd probably say don't overcomplicate it when you're starting out.
00:15:02
Melanie Barlow
Hmm.
00:15:03
Tess Vawser
Focus on your really clear learning objective. I know when I get, you know, educators especially to start writing some learning objectives, you know, they get up to their fourth, fifth, sixth learning objective before and then I bring them back to three.
00:15:18
Tess Vawser
Three, just keep them clear.
00:15:19
Melanie Barlow
Yeah.
00:15:21
Tess Vawser
And then how are you going to match up the activity with your learning objective? And then you don't need high fidelity or anything over complex to make it effective, which I'm the biggest degree and I've got the bit one of the best centres out. So, you know, we've got amazing simulation facilities that we've helped support across the Epworth group. But, you know, the best ones are usually this the lower fidelity as such because what we do tend to do is spend a lot more time on the pre-brief and the debrief, which you guys would all understand, because really...
00:15:55
Tess Vawser
I believe that's where the learning happens if happens if we're talking simulation-based education. So, you know, the scenario is just the trigger and the real value I feel is in the reflection.
00:16:06
Tess Vawser
Obviously, there's creating a safe environment, but that's really around training or really explicit that it's okay to make mistakes. so And I think we've done a lot of work in that, but don't overcomplicate it when they're first starting out.
00:16:22
Tess Vawser
Start small, build your confidence and learn as you go It's really something you develop over time. i think if they're starting out, I would probably definitely encourage some formal training just to give you some solid foundation and a confidence. We're really lucky in Australia over the years. Remember, we've got that Netsim program, which is a great place to start, even if it's just doing the online.
00:16:49
Tess Vawser
the you know, the online workshops to utilise, and I think there's a charge for that now. And then if you can then get along to some workshops, I'd recommend doing a more sort of hands-on instructor course.
00:16:58
Melanie Barlow
Yeah.
00:17:02
Tess Vawser
Like we run one at Epworth and it's really just like a two-day or three-day where, you know, focus on scenario design, for facilitation debriefing.
Future of Simulation Education
00:17:11
Tess Vawser
go to a When you're off to conferences and things, try and get yourself into workshops that are more practical too.
00:17:18
Tess Vawser
And then as you progress, this you know there's fantastic more advanced options. you know Like a lot of the universities now are offering post-grads in clinical simulation. But then always there's the old Harvard Centre for Medical Simulation course that we we all thought we had to do.
00:17:35
Tess Vawser
it was amazing, though, because it's really in-depth for you. But we've got some great experts now within Australia. And then, obviously, there's that translational simulations that we can start be looking at. So I've recently, here I'm saying I'm on my...
00:17:50
Tess Vawser
and and progressing to retirement in the next five years, but I seem to put myself on more more programs. So i recently did that bond translational simulation course and then we're looking at what, you know, I'm at the currently doing a fundamentals of clinical coaching, but there's a lot of people from the simulation space that that I see current students with me on that program.
00:17:56
Melanie Barlow
you
00:18:13
Tess Vawser
So and So start with a good foundation course, get some practical experience, find a mentor and then build from there depending on where you want to go
00:18:24
Melanie Barlow
Lovely. That's great advice.
00:18:26
Tess Vawser
Thank you.
00:18:28
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Tess, I heard you mention there where we've come in the last 20 years, you know, that you've seen some fantastic changes in simulation and certainly it's it's an approach in education that is well embedded, particularly in tertiary education now.
00:18:46
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Given what you've seen in 20 years, what do you see happening in the next 20 years in simulations?
00:18:55
Tess Vawser
Okay, I think, yeah, we have already seen a bit of a shift and I think it's only going to accelerate. You know, we're saying about simulation moving beyond education and much more into that sort of assistance improvement and and a patient safety tool.
00:19:13
Melanie Barlow
Yes.
00:19:21
Tess Vawser
quality conferences. And I'm not sure when's the last time any of you guys have been to a quality conference, but if we're not presenting at them, if we're not showing that the impact, at least our quality colleagues should be or could be.
00:19:33
Tess Vawser
So, but I think, you know, besides seeing a greater and integration of everyday clinical work, are more like in situ simulations, just in time training, and less reliance on standalone sessions. That's what's happening now.
00:19:48
Tess Vawser
I'm talking in hospital situations. And I think in the future technology will probably play a big role. like Things like the digital platforms, AI and virtual simulations.
00:20:02
Tess Vawser
But I don't think that replaces what we do. It just gives us more way to deliver it and scale it. So I'll be interested to see what happens in that space.
00:20:08
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Thank you.
00:20:13
Tess Vawser
And then probably the biggest change is probably around the impact. There's just that growing expectation that simulation isn't just nice education. but it actually contributes to measurable improvements in care. So, and I know that's what our execs are looking at, you know, and that's sort of, you know, the elevator pitch that I usually do.
00:20:33
Tess Vawser
and so really it's evolving more from a like a teaching methodology and hopefully it'll go into core strategy sort of to improving how like healthcare systems work.
00:20:46
Tess Vawser
So, I'm hoping that that might be the future in a few years.
00:20:51
Jenny
Thanks, Tess. That's really insightful. Interesting. I'm a bit curious to see what's going to happen, how AI is going to influence the simulations that we're doing so and other sorts of telehealth and those sorts of things. so Yeah. Now, you said you've been on always adding something else to your to your very busy day. Can you tell our listeners, are there any are there any current projects, events or initiatives that you'd like to share with our listeners?
00:21:25
Tess Vawser
So if I speak from the VSA point, so there's actually a quited bit happening at the moment through the Alliance. So we've got some really great webinars coming up in early June. early june Mel, are you hosting that one? Is that? Yep. So we're looking at things like debriefing in practice. So that's a free webinar.
00:21:43
Melanie Barlow
Yes. Walter Epic. Yeah.
00:21:43
Tess Vawser
Like Walter Epic, i have Walter Epic.
00:21:46
Tess Vawser
Yeah, well done. So he's going to do a session on building adaptive teams, one conversation at a time. So it's great because Walter now is here in Melbourne.
00:21:56
Tess Vawser
So it's wonderful. So, you know, that obviously shows that as a world leader or we, know, at the amazing Walter, now bases himself in Melbourne, through Melbourne Uni, so it's great.
00:22:06
Tess Vawser
Then we've got the Nathan Oliver Canberra, and he's going to be delivering micro...
00:22:11
Melanie Barlow
Yep.
00:22:23
Tess Vawser
so And I think they're just a couple of hours. So... That's happening in June, so you can get onto the website and register for that. Obviously, when you register for it, you become a subscriber for the VSA. So that way you then get linked to all of the socials, which is quite important, especially at the moment, because we want you you to know about the VSA national conference that we're doing.
00:22:49
Tess Vawser
So we're really successful at running events and conferences and we're a volunteer board too though, remember? We've got one person helping us out. And then we have a team of team of volunteers. So this national conference in October is going to be up in the Gold Coast.
Improving Standards in Simulation Practices
00:23:06
Tess Vawser
It's a bit selfish of Victorians to want to go to the Gold Coast, but we've got to get through the next few months of the winter and then we'll we'll see you. But it's that's going to be another great opportunity to connect across the sector.
00:23:17
Tess Vawser
So we're calling for abstracts very soon and really concentrating on areas like the translational sim.
00:23:23
Melanie Barlow
Well, they're open right now.
00:23:26
Tess Vawser
Is it open now? Yeah.
00:23:27
Melanie Barlow
Yeah.
00:23:28
Tess Vawser
Yeah. Translational sim, sim education, emerging practices. So try and get involved in that. A lot of it is shared pretty actively across the VSA channels and socials.
00:23:40
Tess Vawser
So it's sort of worth jumping on, staying connected and seeing what's what's coming up. I love it because it's just such a practical, you know, it's such a nice mix of practical learning.
00:23:52
Tess Vawser
Networking, of course, and opportunities to share our own work. Yeah, it's it's you've got to get out there. so But you don't have to come to present, but certainly we'd love to hear about, you know, just what,
00:24:07
Tess Vawser
practical, what what you're doing practically. You know, it's not all about public your research publications that you need to present, but if you have to come because you need to present, that's great. We'll have you. We want you along.
00:24:19
Tess Vawser
So I think it's going to be fantastic.
00:24:22
Melanie Barlow
Yeah, really good community.
00:24:22
Tess Vawser
and Yeah. So that's 21st, 22nd of October. That's right, isn't it?
00:24:23
Melanie Barlow
Yes.
00:24:30
Tess Vawser
Yep. Yep. So mels Mel's looking after us.
00:24:32
Melanie Barlow
getting warm enough to jump in the water on the coast.
00:24:35
Tess Vawser
Yeah, looks really great. would be wonderful.
00:24:39
Melanie Barlow
How is VSA Tess helping to improve standards and consistency across sim activity?
00:24:46
Melanie Barlow
It's a big one.
00:24:47
Tess Vawser
say that's always big Yeah, I think one of the things is that we're sort of renowned as...
00:24:55
Tess Vawser
because we have systems in place as an alliance, it's been slow. it's been We've had various projects that we've been able to go for and to get.
00:25:06
Tess Vawser
but But one example of us connecting connecting people all is one of the current projects we have with VMIA Insurance and VSA are working together cooperatively and collaboratively to work with another one of our community of practice groups.
00:25:33
Melanie Barlow
Oh.
00:25:34
Tess Vawser
But we're working with to develop and implement and evaluate simulation framework for Victorian public hospitals around translational simulation. So that's sort of a current project at the moment, so sending letters out to the CEOs of the hospitals and asking for expressions of interest to work on a project so that there's a framework.
00:26:00
Tess Vawser
Initially, obviously through the Victorian Public service but Health Services, but hopefully then there's this framework that we can pick up and then share and give. so i think That may sort of improve the consistency across. i think that might answer an example that will answer your question, Mel.
00:26:18
Tess Vawser
Yeah. Oh,
00:26:19
Melanie Barlow
also thinking, you're like on the website, you've got lots of resources, like people share scenarios and techniques.
00:26:24
Tess Vawser
they do. Yeah. Yeah. So what we encourage to do is if you're doing a simulation subject and you're part of your is to write write a scenario or we we ask you to share it.
00:26:39
Tess Vawser
Yeah. Yeah. So if you've got some great scenarios that you'd like to share, we can have them and we can put them up on the website for people.
00:26:40
Melanie Barlow
Amazing.
00:26:47
Melanie Barlow
amazing
00:26:47
Tess Vawser
So yeah, so indifferent.
00:26:49
Jenny
Yes.
00:26:49
Tess Vawser
We did try to have them all years ago. We had them, we aligned with the California Simulation Alliance with their template. And it was very arduous, the template that we used. So then it wasn't as successful as we thought it would.
00:27:08
Tess Vawser
And then obviously we have those education resources that we put out many, many years ago that had a basic template. And I see now that a lot of them are based on that. So it doesn't matter what format it is, if you're happy to share it, yeah.
00:27:25
Tess Vawser
And we talk about, you know has it been validated? But I think if you've run it within your organisation and you've run it at another organisation, I think that validation is success of running a scenario, whereas we put a lot of work in what is validity of a scenario.
00:27:41
Tess Vawser
And it got to the stage where we just weren't sharing enough because we had to pick up another organisation to validate that scenario. And I think we just got, you know we got lost down the rabbit hole.
00:27:53
Tess Vawser
So now you can find some more basic scenarios and I mean I need to up upload a lot more too, just some really practical ones that can be used. Yeah, thanks for reminding me about that one.
00:28:02
Melanie Barlow
Fantastic.
00:28:04
Tess Vawser
yeah
00:28:05
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Tess, having listened to you I can see the absolute value of joining VSA for our listeners as well. And so just in a nutshell, what opportunities can you just sort of summarise for us, the for staff and institutions to become involved with the Alliance?
00:28:25
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
and So what are what are the opportunities that exist by becoming a member? I think you've said a lot of them, but can you just say it in a nutshell?
00:28:33
Tess Vawser
Yeah, just go it just get on and subscribe to it. Then you can link, obviously again, link in with the webinars, link in with the workshops, see what we can do in that collaboration event and around collaborating some research things. So the more the more we have involved in it, you know the bigger it's going to get.
00:28:52
Tess Vawser
it's going to get And it's not just going to, the new website is not just going to be a resource, a filing cabinet for things. So we're hoping to be able to connect a lot more, you know, ask expert things like that. So I think it's worth getting getting getting involved and obviously come to the events.
00:29:10
Tess Vawser
Yep.
00:29:11
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Fantastic. Thank you.
00:29:15
Jenny
Great. Well, thanks, Tess. There's some that's some really interesting information in there. So what, I think we're sort of getting towards the last couple of questions here. So what do you see as the biggest benefits of simulation to healthcare education?
00:29:32
Tess Vawser
The biggest benefits?
00:29:33
Jenny
You've got, yeah.
00:29:34
Tess Vawser
Oh, I sound like you want me to write a paper. Yeah.
00:29:37
Jenny
Oh, no, please.
00:29:38
Tess Vawser
just
00:29:38
Jenny
No, well, you've got you've got like 20 years
Benefits of Simulation in Healthcare Education
00:29:41
Jenny
experience, Tess, lost a really broad range and, you know, in bringing people together.
00:29:42
Tess Vawser
yeah
00:29:48
Jenny
What have you seen in that 20 years as to be, you know, the biggest? well if i but If I was new to simulation or I'm a CEO, why would I put simulation, you know, in my organisation?
00:30:00
Tess Vawser
Okay, so it might be a longer elevator pitch, but I suppose I'd say things like, you know, it's a safe place to learn, you can make mistakes. you can explore decision making, you know, all of that that we do, which is incredibly powerful, you know, and it builds confidence and competence, which we show it has.
00:30:19
Tess Vawser
And I think for the for you academics, it sort of definitely bridges the gap between theory and practice, which I'm sure you guys see in in your everyday. it just helps those clinicians actually apply what they know rather than just understand it I think the biggest impact we've had or the benefit of is around that sort of team, teams, you know, the communication, obviously, interpatient safety. Just, I mean, I'm really lucky. The communication, the teamwork and how people respond under high pressure.
00:30:51
Tess Vawser
But I'm passionate about the interprofessional aspect of it, but bringing those people together in the disciplines, which really helped better understand sort of the roles, responsibilities and how they communicate differently.
00:31:02
Tess Vawser
Just that, Aha moments. I just think that honestly the real magic is in the debriefing and the teams reflect on how they communicated what worked well and what they're going to improve on next time, if that's all you have to ask.
00:31:15
Tess Vawser
But it's really the aha moments in Sim and the debriefing that I think at the most priceless moments.
00:31:23
Melanie Barlow
Great. Thanks, Tess. I get to ask the cool question, do I, Jenny?
00:31:26
Jenny
No, hang on. I've got one more question. So, Tess, we talked earlier about faculty.
00:31:28
Melanie Barlow
Oh, no.
00:31:32
Jenny
How do you keep your technicians and the faculty that you've got or how do you develop faculty? Because I think that's one of the challenges that I see in rural practice.
00:31:47
Jenny
So got any tips for our listeners on that one?
00:31:50
Tess Vawser
Well, I actually get them involved in our train the trainers. So it's more around them facilitating with the trainers. So I don't want them to be running all of the sessions, the faculty that are employed with me.
00:32:05
Tess Vawser
I want them to be there to catch other people when they fall.
00:32:08
Jenny
you
00:32:09
Tess Vawser
So giving them, they are automatically seen as the experts because they have the term simulation in their in their title. So, and they but they're more support, absolutely support. So we can help develop keep developing, you know, and then obviously I support them all to go on to the to to do to go to workshops, to run workshops.
00:32:35
Tess Vawser
So we're you know we're running more and more workshops for for externals and just giving you the confidence. You know what it's like. You get more confidence and get expert at it issue it if you actually teach into it.
00:32:46
Tess Vawser
So, yeah, and support and having frameworks around supporting. So...
00:32:51
Jenny
Thanks.
00:32:51
Tess Vawser
That's how I do it. Yeah. But I know with, you know, in the in your industries with the higher ed, you have a high turnover also of various, you know, lecturers and things and various levels of engagement within simulation. So as long as your your faculty are there to support them and, you know,
00:33:14
Tess Vawser
Yeah, pick them up when they fall and say it's okay.
Personal Reflections and Conclusion
00:33:17
Tess Vawser
It's like in simulation, we can make mistakes. You know, we encourage the participants to make mistakes, so why can't we but be vulnerable and say, yeah, we didn't quite get that one this time, but we got there. The objectives were there. Keep it simple.
00:33:30
Jenny
Thanks, Tess. All right, Mel, you asked the last question. It's my favourite question.
00:33:35
Tess Vawser
I can understand why. i'm waiting for it. Because I think I made up this question.
00:33:40
Melanie Barlow
Well, it is sim happy hour Tess.
00:33:43
Tess Vawser
Oh, that's right. It's called Sim Happy Hour.
00:33:44
Melanie Barlow
So if we could...
00:33:45
Tess Vawser
Of course, it's got to involve alcohol. Does it have to involve alcohol?
00:33:48
Jenny
No. No, I'm a hot chocolate girl myself.
00:33:50
Melanie Barlow
It does not have to.
00:33:52
Jenny
Or actually, do you like a turmeric glass cake?
00:33:52
Melanie Barlow
Yes.
00:33:54
Tess Vawser
Okay, Mel, ask the question because I could have come up with this question because I have a yearly drink in a yearly country. Yeah.
00:34:02
Melanie Barlow
Oh, here we go.
00:34:03
Tess Vawser
Yeah.
00:34:05
Melanie Barlow
test if you could have Sim Happy Hour anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would you be sipping?
00:34:09
Tess Vawser
yeah
00:34:12
Tess Vawser
Well, of course I'm practical. So my 2026 drink, I'm heading to Singapore for a Sim Reconnect.
00:34:22
Tess Vawser
So I'm going to have a Singapore sling in the long bar at Raffles. and but But in 27, we're sailing the Caribbean, so I'm looking forward to a dark and stormy or a mojito. Yeah.
00:34:34
Tess Vawser
So, yeah, so I'm a real, I land in that country, i have to have the country of drink, you know, so I could just say Aperol spruits in Italy, tick. Sangrias in Spain, tick, yeah.
00:34:42
Melanie Barlow
Yeah, or espresso.
00:34:45
Tess Vawser
Yeah. So, yeah, so let's see me try and get the dark and stormy happening in the Caribbean.
00:34:52
Jenny
And the other good thing about raffles is they give you these peanuts, Tess, and you get to just throw the the casings wherever you like.
00:34:56
Tess Vawser
do they?
00:34:59
Tess Vawser
I don't know.
00:35:00
Jenny
It's fantastic. I love raffles.
00:35:01
Tess Vawser
Okay.
00:35:02
Jenny
It's really enjoyable.
00:35:03
Tess Vawser
Yeah, I've actually only i've only been through Singapore Airport. I've actually never been to Singapore. So I look i know, i know, and know.
00:35:08
Melanie Barlow
I enjoy
00:35:08
Jenny
Oh, you'll love it.
00:35:10
Tess Vawser
Yeah. So I'm looking forward to that.
00:35:11
Jenny
Hmm.
00:35:12
Tess Vawser
That'll be nice.
00:35:12
Jenny
Hmm.
00:35:13
Melanie Barlow
it. Amazing.
00:35:13
Tess Vawser
Little break.
00:35:14
Tess Vawser
Yeah. Thank you, ladies.
00:35:15
Jenny
Well, thanks, Tess. We've really enjoyed your chat this morning and thanks for sharing all your information with our listeners. I'm hoping to see you up on the Gold Coast for the Simulation Alliance.
00:35:26
Jenny
So i can I don't have to have done any research. I can just be i can be doing something and that I want to share and come up and present on that.
00:35:33
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
you
00:35:35
Tess Vawser
Absolutely. Absolutely. Put in an abstract. Yes. Yep. Yep.
00:35:38
Jenny
And it's about 20 minutes, is it?
00:35:39
Melanie Barlow
Put the link in the notes, Jenny.
00:35:40
Tess Vawser
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So if you wanted to do what I think is a really good one in your space is how do you simulation to the masses or how do you, you know, if you've got 20 minutes, what can you, any, anything, anything. We just want to hear, you know, it's about connecting everybody.
00:35:56
Jenny
So
00:35:58
Tess Vawser
Mel and I were doing a debriefing workshop the day before and Sam. So because we just people really still want to go back to the basics too, along with learning lots of the new things.
00:36:09
Tess Vawser
So keep an eye out for that also. Just the back to basics.
00:36:12
Jenny
there's two days of the conference and then maybe there's some things before the workshops?
00:36:14
Tess Vawser
Yeah, the workshops, the workshops, yeah, workshops are the first day.
00:36:17
Jenny
Yep.
00:36:19
Tess Vawser
Networking drinks that night. Yep. and We'll have to get a Gold Coast drink.
00:36:21
Jenny
Yes.
00:36:23
Tess Vawser
gu Mel, you better think about which is the drink of choice in the Gold Coast.
00:36:27
Melanie Barlow
Anything goes on the Google Coasters.
00:36:30
Jenny
to be a pineapple something. You're in Queensland, yeah.
00:36:33
Tess Vawser
And the plenaries the next morning and then, yeah, so no workshops the next day, just sort of plenaries and streams the next day. So lots of opportunities to to share and network.
00:36:44
Tess Vawser
So i look forward to seeing you all.
00:36:46
Jenny
Lovely. Thanks so much for your time this morning, Tess.
00:36:47
Tess Vawser
Okay.
00:36:49
Jenny
It's been wonderful.
00:36:49
Tess Vawser
Okay. Thank you so much. It is early morning. It's not quite happy hour. have my warm water and about to get a coffee, but thank you.
00:36:58
Melanie Barlow
bye.
00:36:58
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
Okay.
00:36:58
Tess Vawser
Thank you.
00:36:59
Kerry Anne ReidSearl
he
00:36:59
Melanie Barlow
Thanks, Jess.
00:36:59
Tess Vawser
Bye-bye.