Staff
The Simulation Embedded Participant works within the Master of Health Science in Anesthesiologist Assistant Program and portrays scripted non-patient roles within simulation scenarios to provide clinical realism, advance scenario objectives, and support interprofessional context. Embedded participants are not standardized patients — they do not portray the patient role, are not subject to physical examination by learners, and do not provide structured performance feedback. Their function is to populate the simulated clinical environment with realistic team members and support personnel whose presence and behavior help shape the learner experience and drive scenario progression.
Shifts are typically scheduled Tuesday-Thursday between 8am and 5pm, but schedules vary based on needs of the program. This is a PRN, as-needed, non-benefited position.
Two tiers are available based on background and the roles required for a given session.
Position Tiers
Tier 1 — General Embedded Participant
Individuals without formal healthcare background who portray non-clinical support roles. Examples: family member in the waiting room, patient escort, unit secretary, or general support personnel. All required role knowledge is provided through pre-session preparation and orientation. No clinical experience required.
Tier 2 — Clinical Embedded Participant
Licensed or credentialed healthcare professionals who portray clinical team member roles requiring authentic professional behavior and clinical knowledge. Examples: circulating nurse, scrub technician, anesthesia technician, respiratory therapist, or other perioperative or critical care team members. The individual must be able to respond to learner actions, deliver scripted cues, and interact in a manner consistent with real clinical team dynamics. Clinical background is required for this tier because the authenticity of the role depends on it.
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Portray assigned roles accurately and consistently in accordance with the scenario script and facilitator direction, for the duration of each scenario encounter
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Deliver scripted verbal cues, information, and prompts at the appropriate moment to advance scenario objectives, including escalating urgency when directed
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Respond to learner interactions within the boundaries of the assigned role and scenario parameters; exercise appropriate improvisation when learner actions are not directly scripted, without deviating from the scenario's clinical or educational intent
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Maintain the fiction contract throughout the scenario — remain in role from the moment the scenario begins until the facilitator signals its conclusion, except in response to a genuine participant safety concern
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Complete all required pre-session orientation and scenario-specific preparation prior to each engagement
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Participate in pre-scenario briefing with the facilitating educator and, when required, a brief post-scenario check-in to support handoff of any operationally relevant observations
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Maintain strict confidentiality of all scenario content and learning objectives — scenario details are not to be shared with individuals who have not yet participated, before or after the session
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Communicate availability accurately and respond to scheduling inquiries in a timely manner; provide advance notice when availability changes
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Conduct all interactions within the simulation environment professionally and in a manner consistent with the educational mission of the program
Tier 1 Requirements
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Knowledge typically obtained through a high school diploma or equivalent
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Demonstrated ability to follow detailed scripted directions accurately and repeat a portrayal consistently across multiple consecutive encounters
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Strong verbal communication skills and composure when interacting with multiple learners simultaneously
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Professional demeanor and the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries in a clinical education environment
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Reliable attendance and timely communication regarding availability
Tier 2 Requirements
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All Tier 1 requirements above
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Current licensure or credentialing in a healthcare profession required; must remain in good standing for the duration of participation
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Minimum one year of active clinical practice in a relevant specialty; perioperative, critical care, emergency, or anesthesia experience strongly preferred
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Ability to portray clinical team member roles and respond to learner actions in a manner consistent with current clinical practice and team communication norms
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Familiarity with clinical workflows, equipment, and terminology relevant to the scenarios assigned
Physical and Environmental Requirements
The simulation environment replicates active clinical care settings and includes physical and environmental conditions not typical of standard office or classroom work. The following represent the essential physical and environmental demands of the embedded participant role. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with institutional policy.
Visual Requirements
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Visual acuity sufficient to read scripted materials, identify medical equipment and props, recognize facilitator cues and hand signals, and monitor learner actions in low-light and near-dark conditions, including simulated night, emergency lighting, and power-failure scenarios
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Ability to adapt to rapid and repeated changes in lighting levels, including transitions between full illumination and darkened conditions within a single scenario run
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Ability to visually track movement and identify obstacles, personnel, and equipment within a dimly lit clinical simulation space
Mobility and Dexterity
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Ability to move safely and independently within a confined simulation space containing floor-level obstacles, including cables, power cords, tubing, equipment bases, wheeled carts, and procedural props, under both full and reduced lighting conditions
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Ability to maneuver around stationary and moving personnel, patient simulators, and equipment without disrupting scenario flow or compromising participant safety
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Manual dexterity sufficient to handle medical equipment, props, supplies, and simulated documentation as required by the assigned role
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Ability to reach, bend, stoop, kneel, twist, and crouch as required to perform assigned role functions
Positional Tolerance and Stamina
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Ability to remain in an assigned position — seated, standing, or ambulatory — for the duration of scenario encounters, which typically range from 15 to 45 minutes per run, without leaving the simulation space
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Ability to sustain continuous participation across a four-hour simulation block. Scenario encounters run consecutively within a block, and scheduled breaks occur between blocks rather than within them
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Ability to participate in two consecutive four-hour blocks in a single day, separated by a minimum one-hour break, when scheduled
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Ability to sustain attention, vocal projection, and consistent role portrayal across repeated encounters within a block
Lifting and Physical Assistance
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Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull equipment, supplies, and simulation props weighing up to 50 pounds occasionally and up to 25 pounds frequently
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Ability to assist with repositioning patient simulators, task trainers, and simulation equipment as directed, using proper body mechanics; team lift is required for loads exceeding 50 pounds
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Ability to push or maneuver wheeled equipment, including carts, stretchers, and simulation beds, across level surfaces
Auditory and Communication Requirements
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Ability to hear and distinguish verbal communication, facilitator cues, equipment alarms, and simulated clinical sounds in an environment with competing background noise, including multiple simultaneous speakers
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Ability to speak clearly and project the voice sufficiently to be heard and understood throughout the simulation space, including while wearing a surgical mask, face shield, or other personal protective equipment
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Ability to receive and act on direction delivered by radio, headset, intercom, or in-person cue during an active scenario
Environmental Conditions
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Comfort working in a clinical simulation environment involving medical equipment, patient simulators, procedural props, and simulated bodily fluids
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Ability to tolerate variable room temperatures consistent with operating room and clinical care environments
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Ability to wear personal protective equipment, including gloves, masks, gowns, eye protection, and scrubs, for the duration of assigned scenarios
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Ability to work in an environment where theatrical smoke or haze effects may be used on an infrequent, scenario-specific basis (e.g., operating room fire response)
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Tolerance for participating in scenarios depicting medical emergencies, clinical deterioration, patient distress, or death, portrayed for educational purposes
Equal Opportunity Employer
KCU is committed to promoting an equal employment opportunity workplace. Equal opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information (GINA), physical or mental disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, ancestry, military and/or veteran status, and/or any other status protected by applicable Federal, state or local law.
Annual Security Report
KCU is committed to providing a safe campus for students, faculty, and staff. Our annual campus security report lists campus crimes and statistics for the campus and public areas around campus for the last three years, in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
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