Innovative approach to nursing education

Wouldn’t it be a fantastic educational tool if experienced nurse academics could combine their expertise with the lived experience of a consumer of health services? Dr Kerry Reid-Searl from CQUniversity Australia is doing exactly that. Undergraduate nursing students at the university’s Rockhampton campus have shared their laboratories with characters like Cyril Smith and Dudley Dawes. These characters are created through the use of latex masks, combined with some pre-loved clothing from second hand stores. Underneath the mask is Dr Kerry Reid-Searl who uses her extensive knowledge of student experiences to teach nursing skills in a way that is creative and fun but very educational. It helps to bridge the gap between the theory students have learned, and the people they will meet and care for on their first clinical experience.