University of Delaware
HEALTHCARE THEATRE
Healthcare Theatre is a unique interdisciplinary education program at the University of Delaware that develops the communication skills necessary of current and future professionals through interactive scenarios presented by Healthcare Theatre students.
With this transformative approach to education, theatre students are trained to portray patients and family members so that health sciences students can practice both technical and interpersonal skills in a safe environment without compromising quality of care.
The program was co-founded at the University of Delaware by Faculty Members Amy Cowperthwait, College of Health Sciences and Allan Carlsen, College of Arts and Science.
Innovations in virtual education for clinical and simulation learning
This article outlines how an innovative partnership between clinical faculty, simulation faculty, and the Theatre Department modified an in-person simulation activity designed for groups of two students into a web-based “clinical” experience that included the assigned clinical faculty, eight nursing students, and one simulated patient.
Healthcare Theatre adds realism to College of Health Sciences diversity education program
Diversity training initiatives often use scripted scenarios to educate and engage participants, said Regina Wright, associate dean for diversity in the College of Health Sciences and a professor in the School of Nursing. But the Healthcare Theatre scenarios add an extra twist — freezing the actors in their roles and asking participants to jump in and respond to what’s going on. This pause gives participants a chance to practice how they might respond to a similar situation in real life.
