Clinical Simulation Updates

Updates, Resources, and News of Interest for QHS Educators

January 2026

The Clinical Simulation Centre (CSC) located on the 2nd floor of 15 Arch Street isn’t just for procedural-based skills, but it is also for other skills such as effective communication, team-based practices, and other competencies such as EDIIA or teaching people how to be upstanders.

“Simulation is what we call a pedagogical teaching model -- it’s an approach, but with that comes a specific theories and best practices around pre-briefing and debriefing and how it’s designed/implemented,” says Dr. Heather Braund, who is dedicated to Simulation research, evaluation, and education. She is the Associate Director of Scholarship and Simulation Education with the Office of Professional Development and Educational Scholarship.

One example includes debriefing guidelines. “We know that debriefing is often where the learning happens,” says Dr. Braund. “It’s often the most meaningful part for learners. You try to uncover some of the cognitive processes, the underlying reasons why decisions were made, and then you talk about how they will apply what they learned in the future. It helps to consolidate and solidify learning.”

Established frameworks are encouraged, and an example of this is the recently updated Prebriefing guidelines. Prebriefing is now an established separate phase which really helps to set the learners up for success. “One of the key differences is they’ve separated out preparation from briefing,” says Dr. Braund. “Preparation includes any educational materials that need to be provided to learners, whereas briefing includes a structured orientation to the learning environment, review of learning objectives, logistical details, and establishing psychological safety. We’re moving away from the idea of how to surprise people in Simulation, to how to best prepare them.”

To book a space in the simulation lab, please contact Jill Phillips well in advance of the proposed session at clined@queensu.ca.