Innovation in learning and teaching: From a dress up box to amazing props

Key note address discussing the challenge for nursing academics, when teaching beginning undergraduate students, is to create learning experiences that prepares beginning nurses for the reality of practice prior to their first clinical experience. Creating realism requires imagination, creativity and a willingness to look outside the box. In 2009, Dr Kerry Reid-Searl took on a challenge and pioneered a teaching approach that would suspend students in disbelief whilst giving them tangible real world experiences. The technique, called Mask Ed (KRS simulation), involves the experienced educator donning humanistic and realistic props to transform into a patient/ a character with a history. The patient/character and the history serve as the platform for teaching. The technique has proven to engage learners and promote reflection beyond the simulation experience. The pedagogy behind the technique has now been defined and articulated. This presentation will showcase the Mask-Ed (KRS Simulation) technique and its application in nursing and other health related disciplines. The presentation will then move to explain the pedagogy and research findings which have helped to validate the effectiveness of the technique.