IPSS: The Podcast

Live from IPSSW 2026 Rome, Italy Dr Eduardo Frias and Erin Carn-Bennett on Sim Gym

This episode is recorded live at the end of day 2 of the International Pediatric Simulation conference IPSSW 2026 Rome, Italy 4-7 May 2026.
Erin Carn-Bennett interviews first time IPSSW attendee Dr Eduardo Frias from Canada about his simulation story which began in Mexico as a trainee doctor. Eduardo speaks 4 languages and when he initially moved to Canada he applied for simulation technician roles due to his newfound passion for simulation after leaving Mexico. Eduardo shares his IPSS and simulation story and all about his innovation project “Sim Gym” which has potential to give back globally to the simulation and healthcare community through humanised and accessible technology. Join Erin and Eduardo as they meet as strangers and leave as IPSS friends both inspired and hopeful from this amazing presentation and work. Welcome to IPSS Eduardo!
Dr. Eduardo Frias is a Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Fellow at McGill University, with a strong academic focus on medical simulation and healthcare education.
He is an active member of the Centre for Pediatric Simulation at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and a senior instructor in the Disaster Simulation Program at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, where he has also served as a program development advisor, supporting the growth and strategic implementation of simulation curricula. His work extends internationally through collaborations with institutions across Latin America, focusing on scalable and context-adapted simulation-based education.
Dr. Frias leads the Sim Gym program at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, a simulation-based initiative that emphasizes deliberate practice with asynchronous evaluation to develop both technical and non-technical skills, enhancing clinical performance and patient safety.
Dr. Frias has received recognition for his contributions to medical education, including a Mention of Honour in Education at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and the Dr. Sadok Besrour Award for his innovative educational projects with direct impact on patient care.

Faculty Development in Simulation: Exploring Emotions, Ethics, and Systemic Perspectives

In this episode, Dr. Samreen Vora speaks with Dr. Peter Dieckmann who shares insights into the emotional impact of simulation trainings, the importance of facilitation, and the moral considerations inherent in designing and running simulations. We delve into how psychological safety, systemic biases, and diverse perspectives shape effective faculty development and simulation practices. 
Join us at IPSSW 2026 in Rome, Italy to meet Dr Dieckmann. 
 
Subscribe and share to keep up with more insightful conversations on pediatric simulation across the globe. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help others discover this important content from IPSS: The Podcast!
This podcast was made possible by The Starship Foundation and IPSS Podcast Subcommittee. 
Follow us on Instragram @ipss_global 
Are you signed up for IPSSW 2026 in Rome?Register here: https://ipss.org/event-6324652

Enhancing Pediatric Care Through Simulation and Emotional Safety with Sarah Patterson

In this episode, we explore how simulation-based education transforms pediatric psychosocial care, emphasizing emotional safety. Sarah Patterson shares her journey from child life specialist to integrating simulation into healthcare training, highlighting innovative strategies to reduce trauma and prevent emotional harm in children and families.
Key topics:
The role and scope of a child life specialist and their impact on pediatric care
How simulation enhances clinical skills and emotional safety in healthcare
The integration of standardized patients, AI, and mannequins to teach pediatric psychosocial skills
Importance of emotional safety versus psychological safety: definitions and implications
Strategies to incorporate emotional safety into clinical practice and training
The emotional safety initiative by the Association of Child Life Professionals
Practical tips for merging technical and emotional safety in high-stakes scenarios
International efforts to embed emotional safety into healthcare curricula
The future of simulation as a tool for cultural change in healthcare environments
 
This episode underscores how integrating emotional safety into pediatric healthcare, through innovative simulation practices, can transform patient experiences and provider well-being.
Sarah Patterson, a Child Life Specialist at McMaster University in Canada. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and the Curriculum Coordinator for the Master's of Science in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care Program in the Faculty of Health Sciences. She is the Immediate Past President of the board of directors of the Association of Child Life Professionals. Her passion is in psychosocial care and emotional safety initiatives within simulation-based education.
 
Subscribe and share to keep up with more insightful conversations on pediatric simulation across the globe. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help others discover this important content from IPSS: The Podcast!
This podcast was made possible by The Starship Foundation and IPSS Podcast Subcommittee.  This podcast was produced by Denish Kumar.
Follow us on Instragram @ipss_global 
Are you signed up for IPSSW 2026 in Rome?Register here: https://ipss.org/event-6324652

Dr Cristina Diaz-Navarro Incoming President for SESAM Society For Simulation in Europe

In this episode Erin Carn-Bennett (RN, MSN) from Douglas Starship Simulation Program in Auckland, New Zealand interviews Dr Cristina Diaz-Navarro for IPSS the Podcast.
Professor Cristina Diaz-Navarro is a Consultant Anaesthetist, the Academic Head for Perioperative Care at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
She is the Chair of the Simulation Advisory Group at the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Cristina is also an Honorary Professor in Medical Education at the School of Medicine, Cardiff University and an Associate Professor for the School of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences at the University of Barcelona.
She is currently the President Elect for the European Simulation Society (SESAM). 
During her role as chair of the SESAM Scientific Committee, she led the publication of the Global Consensus Statement on Healthcare Simulation.
Cristina is also the lead author in the creation of the TALK approach to clinical debriefing, which has been translated to 9 languages and is used in 30 countries, and chairs the Board of Trustees of the TALK Foundation (www.talkdebrief.org).
As an associate dean for simulation at Health Education and Improvement Wales her focus was on faculty development and quality assurance in simulation.
As an Executive Committee Member at the Association for Simulation in Healthcare Practice (ASPiH), she led the development of the ASPiH Standards 2023.
Cristina has been involved in simulation based education and debriefing since 2006. She enjoys developing innovative simulation based projects that encourage new perspectives for reflection on everyday elements of healthcare. 
Resources mentioned in this episode are linked below:
https://ipss.org/event-6324652
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cristina-diaz-navarro-936b4117
https://www.aspeducators.org/
https://www.sesam-web.org/
https://www.talkdebrief.org/talk-foundation
https://www.starship.org.nz/guidelines/ace-review-after-critical-event/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11823216/
https://journals.lww.com/simulationinhealthcare/abstract/9900/sim2lead__a_new_era_in_leadership_training_for.223.aspx
 

Visualizing Teamwork: A Deep Dive into Visually Enhanced Mental Simulation (VEMS) with Dr. Victoria Brazil

In this episode, Dr Samreen Vora sits down with Dr Victoria Brazil to talk about her recently published article on Visually Enhanced Mental Simulation (VEMS) — what it is, why it matters, how it can help healthcare teams train more efficiently and effectively, and what the implications are for simulation education and patient-care systems. They explore the origins of VEMS, how it compares with traditional simulation methods, case-examples of implementation, design and delivery recommendations, and reflections on future directions for simulation practice.
About Dr Victoria Brazil:Dr Victoria Brazil is an emergency physician, medical educator and simulation pioneer based in Australia. She is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Simulation at the Gold Coast Health Service and at Bond University, where she leads the Translational Simulation Collaborative. Her work focuses on using simulation not just for individual skill-training, but to improve entire systems of care — translational simulation. Dr Brazil has published extensively in the field of simulation and high-performing healthcare teams, and she is actively engaged in simulation-education communities globally.
 
Please note that Dr Brazil is founder/co-founder of Simulation Simplified which provides simulation-based educational tools and services. Listeners should understand that while the discussion draws on her research and professional experience, any references to products or services from Simulation Simplified do not constitute an endorsement by the podcast. No commercial relationship exists other than Dr Brazil’s role with the company.
 
About the Host:Dr Samreen Vora is a physician leader, educator, and healthcare simulation expert dedicated to improving patient care and team performance through innovative education. She serves as Director of Interprofessional Education and Director of the Simulated Participant Program at Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation. Dr Vora is passionate about leveraging simulation to enhance systems-level learning, promote equity, and improve outcomes across interprofessional teams.
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Subscribe and share to keep up with more insightful conversations on pediatric simulation across the globe. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help others discover this important content from IPSS: The Podcast!
This podcast was made possible by The Starship Foundation and IPSS Podcast Subcommittee.  This podcast was produced by Denish Kumar.
Follow us on Instragram @ipss_global 
Are you signed up for IPSSW 2026 in Rome?Register here: https://ipss.org/event-6324652

Jane Cichero: Sydney Children’s to Starship. An IPSS Australia New Zealand Simulation Story with Erin Carn-Bennett

Host: Erin Carn-Bennett, Simulation Nurse Educator, Douglas Starship Simulation ProgrammeGuest: Jane Cichero, Simulation Nurse Educator, Sydney Children’s Hospital
Episode OverviewIn this episode, Erin is joined by Jane Cichero, a Simulation Nurse Educator at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Australia. Jane has been shaping paediatric nursing education at Sydney Children’s Hospital Network Randwick since 1995. With over 30 years of clinical experience spanning general paediatrics, paediatric intensive care, and 16 years in emergency nursing, Jane brings a wealth of expertise to her simulation practice.
Jane currently serves as Nurse Lead for the Critical Care Simulation Team in the Emergency Department, supporting simulation services across the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. She is deeply passionate about harnessing simulation not only as a teaching tool for clinical and teamwork skills but also as a driver for quality improvement and patient safety.
Since 2004, Jane has been an Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) instructor and, since 2020, a member of the APLS support team, helping develop faculty, strengthen learner-centred teaching, and update programs with modern educational approaches. Her qualifications include a Paediatric Certificate, Paediatric Critical Care Certificate, Graduate Diploma in Clinical Teaching, a Harvard Medical Simulation Certificate, and APLS Instructor status.
What We Talk About in This Episode
Jane’s journey into simulation and the impact on her career.
APLS, her role in faculty development, and a recent trip to Sri Lanka.
The IPSS story in New Zealand and Australia, including collaboration between Sydney Children’s Hospital, Starship Children’s Hospital, and the Douglas Starship Simulation Programme.
The creation of SimPAC, a new trans-Tasman paediatric simulation collaborative born from an idea at IPSSW 2024 Lisbon.Get Involved & Stay Connected
Are you signed up for IPSSW 2026 in Rome?Register here: https://ipss.org/event-6324652
Join us online for IPSSV 2025 — our virtual conference:Register here: https://ipss.org/event-6288720
Explore more through the IPSS Academy:https://ipss.org/event-6288720
Interested in joining the new Australia & New Zealand SimPAC Collaborative?Email: SimulationTeam.PCH@health.wa.gov.au
About the HostErin Carn-Bennett is a Simulation Nurse Educator at the Douglas Starship Simulation Programme in Auckland, New Zealand, where she designs and delivers innovative simulation-based education for paediatric teams. She is passionate about collaboration, storytelling, and building bridges between global simulation communities. She is in her second term on the board of directors for IPSS.

Simulation Through the Years with Dr. Lennox Huang

In this episode of IPSS: The Podcast, Dr. Elaine Ng interviews Dr. Lennox Huang at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Huang is a staff physician in the Pediatric Critical Care Unit and the Chief Medical Officer and Vice-President for Medical and Academic Affairs. From his unique position as a clinician, educator and healthcare administrator, he shares his experiences in simulation through the years, and suggestions for future work. He currently sits on the board of the Global Network for Simulation in Healthcare (GNSH) and provided information on the work that is being done and the upcoming summit in October 2025.
Subscribe and share to keep up with more insightful conversations on pediatric simulation across the globe. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help others discover this important content from IPSS: The Podcast!
This podcast was made possible by the IPSS Podcast Subcommittee and The Starship Foundation.  This podcast was produced the IPSS Podcast Subcommittee.
Follow us on Instragram @ipss_global 

Artificial Intelligence in Simulation with Dr. Singh

Join us for an insightful conversation with Dr. Devin Singh, an emergency physician at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and a leading expert in technical artificial intelligence. Dr. Singh, one of Canada's first physicians to specialize in AI, holds a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and is a co-founder and CEO of HeroAI. This episode delves into the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, particularly in pediatrics and simulation, and explores the critical role of simulation in its responsible development and deployment.
Subscribe and share to keep up with more insightful conversations on pediatric simulation across the globe. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help others discover this important content from IPSS: The Podcast!
This podcast was made possible by the IPSS Podcast Subcommittee and The Starship Foundation.  This podcast was produced by Denish Kumar and the IPSS Podcast Subcommittee.
Follow us on Instragram @ipss_global 

PediSTARS

In this episode, Dr. Elaine Ng interviews Dr. Sujatha Thyagarajan, Paediatric Consultant at Aster RV and Aster Women & Children Hospital in Bangalore, India. Dr. Sujatha is a founding member, secretary and treasurer of PediSTARS India (Pediatric Simulation and Training Research Society) which was founded in 2013. Listen in as she reflects on the early days of PediSTARS and shares her insights in making simulation-based education accessible to everyone. 
Subscribe and share to keep up with more insightful conversations on pediatric simulation across the globe. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help others discover this important content from IPSS: The Podcast!
This podcast was made possible by The Starship Foundation and IPSS Podcast Subcommittee.  
This podcast was produced by Denish Kumar.

Human Factors and Simulation Collaboration

Collaboration of Human Factors Engineers and Simulation Specialists
Overview
In this enlightening episode, we delve into the collaboration between Human Factors engineers and simulation specialists, focusing on their pivotal roles in healthcare. We explore how these disciplines intersect to improve patient safety and enhance healthcare systems.
Key Topics Discussed
Role of Simulation and Human Factors in Healthcare
How simulations are utilized to train healthcare professionals.
The impact of human factors on improving the design and functionality of medical devices and systems.
Real-World Applications and Insights
Case studies showcasing successful implementations of simulation and human factors engineering.
Insights into the benefits of integrating these practices in healthcare settings.
Engaging Leadership
Strategies for involving leadership in promoting human factors and simulation practices.
The importance of leadership support in driving systemic change.
Addressing Systems Issues in Healthcare
Identifying common systemic issues and how simulation can help address them.
The role of human factors in enhancing system reliability and efficiency.
Innovative Solutions
Examples of innovative solutions developed through collaboration between Human Factors engineers and simulation specialists.
Future trends and possibilities in healthcare improvement.
Guest Experts
Human Factors Engineers
Simulation Specialists