Congratulations to CQUniversity Nursing senior lecturer Dr Kerry Reid-Searl who has received more international recognition for her use of latex masks to teach clinical skills.

Kerry has researched the improvement in the learning environment when students can interact with realistic characters, representing different patient types.

Dr Kerry Reid-Searl with her teaching assistant 'Cyril Smith'

The Rockhampton-based academic has recently returned from Prato in Italy where she attended the 3rd International Clinical Skills Conference with one of her latex masks, affectionaley know as 'Cyril Smith'.

Dressed as 'Cyril', Kerry was awarded as 'one of the best papers' for the conference and her presentation was identified as being one of the most significant moments of the whole event.

The paper was presented with colleagues from University of Newcastle Dr Tracey Levett Jones and Dr Helen Bellchambers

Janice Rymer, the Professor of  Obstetrics & Gynaecology, from King's College London School of Medicine, has contacted Kerry to praise the power of her presentation.

"The presentation that you did using Cyril Smith as the patient and one of your colleagues as the nurse was extremely memorable and it appeared to be an excellent way of teaching," Professor Rymer said.

"The strength of your teaching method was the very lifelike mask that completely convinced all the audience that you were a garrulous elderly man.

"The interaction you had with the nurse was incredibly informative and as a student of medicine, pharmacy, or nursing this teaching session would have made a lasting impression on me. I certainly would have taken home many essential messages about prescribing."

More recently (July 29-30), Kerry has gained the 'best paper award for innovation' for her presentation on 'The use of innovative simulation to teach medication safety to nurses', during the Passionate About Practice conference in Brisbane.