Diversity and Inclusion in Simulation: Addressing Ethical and Psychological Safety Concerns When Working with Simulated Participants
By: Leanne Picketts, Marika Dawn Warren, Carrie Bohnert
Submitted by: Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation
Healthcare learners can gain necessary experience working with diverse and priority communities through human simulation. In this context, simulated participants (SPs) may be recruited for specific roles because of their appearance, lived experience or identity. Although one of the benefits of simulation is providing learners with practice where the risk of causing harm to patients is reduced, simulation shifts the potential harm from real patients to SPs. Negative effects may be amplified when SPs are recruited for personal characteristics or lived experience. Educators have an ethical obligation to promote diversity and inclusion; however, we are also obliged to mitigate harm to SPs.