Over the last 15+ years Kirsty has been in simulation-based education and research within both the clinical and academic settings. The most recent of her positions is within The University of Western Australia, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, where she is part of the academic faculty in the Division of Health Professions Education. With a Masters in Health Professions Education (Research) and Kirsty is currently a PhD Candidate, researching the incidence of impostor phenomenon in healthcare simulation faculty, and the impact of professional identity.   Kirsty is also a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator with the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. 

Transition in professional identity and the impact of imposter phenomenon study – (Current research project). As the demand for simulation-based learning increases, so too has the need to grow the healthcare simulation educator workforce.  With clinicians taking on these new roles they are often required to transition in how they identify professionally.  The experience of adopting a new professional identity is complex, often resulting in feelings of being a ‘fake’ or an ‘impostor’. This study will explore the impostor phenomenon and its influence on transitions in professional identity of healthcare simulation educators.  

Shining a Light on Debriefing: what actually happens in rural simulation based education – Between 2015 and 2017 Kirsty undertook a study that describes the experience of doctors who facilitate debriefing during simulation-based education in rural and remote environments.  Using a mixed methods sequential explanatory design, the study highlights that whilst the experience of facilitating the debriefing component of simulation-based education in the rural environment presents challenges, the positive impact of the relationship between debriefer and learner, suggesting the learning conversation does not and should not end at the conclusion of the debrief, but continue to thread through to other clinical skills and bedside teaching opportunities.