Debra Nestal wins prestigious similuation award
Professor Debra Nestel's work in the use of simulation in healthcare education has been recognised by the presitgious Ray Page Lifetime Simulation Achievement Award.
Professor Debra Nestal received the Ray Page Lifetime Simulation Achievement Award at the SimHealth conference in late August. The award recognises an outstanding contribution to the development of modelling and simulation in science, technology, policy or industry in Australia. It is only presented if a candidate who meets the criteria is nominated.
As Professsor of Simulation Education in Healthcare for the School of Rural Health, her research interests include the role of simulation in supporting learning, particularly in procedural and operative skills.
Debra pioneered the concept of patient-focused simulation (PFS) with her colleague Roger Kneebone. In PFS, a simulated patient and simulator model (urinary catheterization, suture pad etc) are ‘combined’ in a simulated environment in order to provide a learner-centred experience. The approach has been adopted internationally for teaching, learning and assessing procedural skills in undergraduate medical education.
The Simulation Achievement Award is recognition of her significant contribution to the use of simulation in healthcare education.