Simulated Participant; Remote

Position Overview

The Simulated Participant (SP) at the Simulation & Immersive Learning Center at Texas A&M University plays a critical role in healthcare simulation education by portraying realistic and repeatable roles, such as patients, family members, or healthcare professionals, to support experiential learning and assessment for healthcare learners. SPs contribute to creating safe, high-quality, and professional simulation experiences that enhance learner competence, critical thinking, and patient safety.

This position adheres to the standards set by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) and the Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) Standards of Best Practice (SOBP).

Key Responsibilities

• Role Portrayal

• Accurately and consistently portray assigned roles (e.g., standardized patient, simulated patient, or simulated participant) based on detailed case scenarios provided by the Simulation & Immersive Learning Center.
• Maintain realism and repeatability in physical, emotional, and verbal responses to create authentic clinical encounters, as outlined in ASPE SOBP Domain 2:
  Case Development.
• Adapt portrayals to meet the needs of various learners, including medical, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health students, in formative and summative assessment contexts.

• Feedback and Assessment

• Provide constructive, objective, and learner-centered feedback to students on their communication, history-taking, physical examination, and interpersonal skills from the perspective of the role portrayed, per ASPE SOBP Domain 3: SP Training for Feedback.
• Complete assessment instruments (e.g., checklists or rating scales) accurately and consistently to evaluate learner performance, as trained by SP Educators.
• Participate in debriefing sessions, when required, to support learner reflection and growth.

• Training and Preparation

• Attend mandatory training sessions to learn case materials, role portrayal techniques, feedback delivery methods, and assessment protocols, as guided by ASPE SOBP Domain 3: SP Training.
• Prepare for each simulation session by reviewing case scripts, practicing role portrayal, and ensuring familiarity with learning objectives and evaluation criteria.
• Collaborate with SP Educators to refine portrayal and feedback skills to meet program quality standards.

• Professionalism and Safety

• Maintain a safe physical and psychological work environment for self, learners, faculty, and staff, adhering to ASPE SOBP Domain 1:
  Safe Work Environment and SSH guidelines for ethical simulation practice.
• Uphold confidentiality regarding case details, learner performance, and simulation activities.
• Demonstrate professionalism through punctuality, reliability, and respectful interactions with all stakeholders.

• Program Support

• Participate in quality assurance processes, such as case reviews or feedback calibration sessions, to ensure consistency and quality in simulation delivery.
• Provide input to SP Educators on case development or simulation processes to support continuous improvement, as encouraged by ASPE SOBP Domain 4:
  Program Management.
• Support hybrid simulations that may involve manikins, task trainers, or other modalities, as directed.

Qualifications

• Education and Experience
• High school diploma or equivalent required; experience in acting, teaching, or healthcare is preferred but not mandatory.
• Prior experience as a standardized patient, simulated patient, or simulated participant is an asset.
• Skills and Abilities
• Strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills to portray roles realistically and provide effective feedback.
• Ability to memorize and recall detailed case information to ensure consistency in portrayal.
• Emotional intelligence and adaptability to respond appropriately to diverse learner interactions.
• Comfort with receiving and incorporating constructive feedback to improve performance.
• Basic computer literacy for completing online training modules, assessment forms, or scheduling tasks.
• Personal Attributes
• Commitment to professionalism, accountability, and collaboration, as outlined in ASPE SOBP values.
• Willingness to work in a dynamic, team-oriented environment with diverse learners and faculty.
• Ability to maintain psychological and physical safety during simulation activities, including sensitive examinations, with appropriate training and consent.

Working Conditions

• Schedule:
  Part-time, on-call position with variable hours based on simulation schedules and needs. Availability may be required on weekdays, evenings, or weekends.
• Environment:
  Work is performed in a controlled simulation center environment, with scenarios conducted in clinical exam rooms or simulated healthcare settings.
• Physical Requirements:
  Ability to perform physical tasks associated with role portrayal (e.g., lying in a hospital bed, simulating symptoms). Specific roles, such as Physical Exam Teaching Associate (PETA), Gynecological Teaching Associate (GTA), or Male Urogenital Teaching Associate (MUTA), may involve teaching sensitive examinations, requiring…