Miss Karen Elliott

About

I am current a Senior Lecturer in Simulation and Clinical Skills within the School of Nursing and have been since 2000.

I have over the years seen the shift and inclusion of simulation as an effective learning and teaching pedagogy which has been both interesting and quite exciting as an educator.  Having been enthused by this varied form of teaching  I undertook an MSc in Medical and Healthcare simulation from Oct 2014 graduating in June 2016, to consolidate my knowledge and experience and enhance a specialty within my team. I work with other skills and simulation lecturer's in the school to design, co-ordinate and implement effective and enhancing teaching and learning opportunities within a simulated environment.  

My other responsibilities are the development and innovative delivery of clinical skills teaching and learning across a lifespan and field perspective.

In addition to this, since 2019, I am the MSc nursing programme lead.  This is largely the oversight of the MSc programme as a whole and the managment of the programme and modlues including student co-orodination and timetabling.  I relish the direct student contact this role provides. 

Another area I have chosen to focus upon in my work is the development and implementation of simulated electronic patient records, which aim to reflect the current shift in clinical practice.   In collaboration with the web and multimedia team at the university we currently have a web based system that is used by student nurses and facilitators in a simulated learning and teaching environment reflecting reality and enhancing the fidelity of simulation a step further.  

My prior nursing career before my move to education in 1998 was working as a clinical skills technician within the school of nursing and prior to this was in acute assessment and short stay patient care units/wards. 

Academic responsibilities

Senior Lecturer Simulation & Clinical Skills & MSc Nursing Course Lead

Qualifications

  • MSc Medical & Health Care Simulation
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • PG Certificate in Higher Education Teaching & Learning
  • BSc (Hons) Health Studies

Teaching and learning

As a clinical skills and simulation lecturer my expertise is in the co-ordination and development of teaching and learniing using innovative and creative methods of delivery.  These menthods need to reflect current practice and yet provide both supportive and challenging student learning opportunities.  

While we work to prepare students for their clinical placements we strive to also provide opportunites for them to experiment and "have a go" and gain valuable feedback on their performance and care outcomes in a safe learniing environment.  This approach enables them to develop into reflective practitioners.

The balance of simulatated learning environements being challenging but also safe can at times be difficult and is something that we need to be very mindful of.  No student learns if they are too stressed or embaraced to engage.  

The use of peer, roleplayer, patient and mentor feedback is paramount in siumlation and again the approaches need to be both effective and considerate to the learner,  we want to provide a positive experience but also one that allows students to reflect and identify areas for future development.    

Qualifications and expertise

  • MSc Medical and heathcare simulation
  • Teaching fellow

Undergraduate courses taught

Postgraduate courses taught