Types of Actors
When choosing your actors for the virtual gaming simulation, you can choose from a range of options depending on your budget. Potential actors can include:
- students/learners,
- educators (faculty, content experts (e.g., healthcare professionals, simulationists),
- patients/care partners, and/or
- professional actors (including union, non-union, and students).
Table 3.1 outlines the benefits and limitations further for each type of actor you can choose for your virtual gaming simulation.
Table 3.1: Various Types of Actors
|
Type of Actor |
Pro |
Con |
Strategies |
|
Learner/Student Virtual Gaming Simulation examples: An Interprofessional Virtual Gaming Simulation: Breaking the Chain of Transmissionand Meal Assistance Virtual Gaming Simulation |
Interested in being part of the project. Professional connection to the scenario (e.g., nursing student), as well as they may have a personal connection (e.g., client). Senior students feel they are giving back to and supporting novice students through nursing education. Enhanced learning of content because deeper involvement when playing the role, increased insight of client perspective. Lower payment fee due to experience or the student may volunteer their time depending on the role. |
Lack of experience: students may need additional time to train. Due to lack of experience, you will need to book extra time for filming as you may need to take multiple takes. Need to schedule filming around the student’s academic schedule. |
Encourage the student to reflect on personal experience to find emotions for the role. Book extra time to practice the script lines with the student, as well as performing the skills. Book additional filming time due to lack of experience. Implement psychological safety strategies (e.g., encouraging self-expression, providing opportunities to share thoughts, explain reason for changes) because role-playing can place the student in a vulnerable position when expressing emotions and performing skills. Debrief with learner/student about their experience playing the role. |
|
Educator (e.g., faculty, content expert) Virtual Gaming Simulation example: Pediatric Patient with an Acute Injury and Post-operative Event |
Knowledgeable in content, therefore can enhance realism through performance and language. Decrease cost if they volunteer time. Educators, for example with faculty, can role model for their students professionalism in the role of the healthcare provider. |
Connection to the learner/student therefore students may label educator as the character (e.g., bias or judgment can occur). Limited availability, or interest or experience. |
Book extra time to practice the script lines, as well as performing the skills with camera. Book additional filming time due to lack of experience. |
|
Patients, Individuals, and Care Partners with Personal Healthcare Experience (e.g., family members, friends) Virtual Gaming Simulation example: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity toolkit, including virtual simulation games. |
Lived experience, unique to individual. Can portray authentic emotions and actions of the scenario. Volunteer time through hospital programs — advocating for competency of future healthcare professionals. Can ensure script is accurate and realistic to experience (e.g., feelings, communication, language). Can collaborate on script development process. |
Filming scenes can be a trigger of past experiences and emotions. Limited perspective of diverse experiences (e.g., perinatal experience varies between individuals). Challenging to find and book actors with lived experiences (e.g., fit filming/development schedule). May require additional coaching and training for concepts outside unique personal experience. |
Implement psychological safety strategies (e.g., prompting self-expression, providing opportunities to share thoughts, explain reason for changes) because the role can trigger past emotions and experiences. Have counselling available if needed to support patient actors. |
|
Professional Actor Currently in school and post-graduate Virtual Gaming Simulation example: Health History Interview Virtual Gaming Simulation Standardized Participant (SPs) are actors trained in medical and health-related simulations. Training includes how to enact various diagnose symptoms, or how to portray a family member or healthcare provider. |
Educated in various acting methods with diverse and expansive emotional range and abilities. Ability to embody character emotionally and physically. Ability to access a range of emotions, movements, gestures, intonations and interpretations of the client experience. Ability to play off other actors in the scene — good to mix with non-professional actors. Lack of medical knowledge can make their performance more real from a lay person’s perspective with honest reactions. No connection to the learner/student therefore unattached to the student perspective of them (e.g., bias or judgment). More time-efficient because they are professional, therefore, less filming days are required. They may not have a personal experience, therefore can incorporate diverse perspectives from multiple stories. |
More expensive to hire. Lack of medical knowledge (e.g., language and performing skills). New experience performing a medical role which may have a long-lasting emotional impact (e.g., mental health, conflict). Potential for miscommunication of expectations if hired using a 3rd party. For example, misrepresentation of the role required for the virtual simulation. |
Apply for internal and external grants. Provide an additional training day for the medical aspect and to discuss/answer character background. It is important to debrief each day with the actors to encourage a psychological safe environment. Important to review script outline, expectations, and objectives during the hiring process. Create a decision tree of who to contact regarding questions about the project (e.g., pay, location, dry runs). It is recommended to hire professionals for the main actor(s) when possible.
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(Currie & Heslop, 2022; Ferrandini Price et al., 2018; Tyerman et al., 2021; Webster, 2019) |
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Insights from the Student Team
References
Currie, J., & Heslop, D. (2022). Playing sick and injured: The experiences of undergraduate nurses as casualty actors in a mass casualty simulation exercise. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 62, 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.08.005.
Ferrandini Price, M., Escribano Tortosa, D., Nieto Fernandez-Pacheco, A., Perez Alonso, N., Cerón Madrigal, J. J., Melendreras-Ruiz, R., García-Collado, Á. J., Pardo Rios, M., & Juguera Rodriguez, L. (2018). Comparative study of a simulated incident with multiple victims and immersive virtual reality. Nurse Education Today, 71, 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.09.006.
Tyerman, J., Ziegler, E., Carroll, B., & Luctkar-Flude, M. (2021). LGBTQI2S virtual simulation: Lessons learned using actors with lived experience. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 54, 40–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.01.016.
Webster. (2019). Lights, camera, action: Lessons learned from a nursing and theater collaboration. The Journal of Nursing Education, 58(6), 369–371. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20190521-10.
