4 Corners Newsletter - Vol 5 - Central Queensland University

The ranger behind the
mask
Dr Kerry Reid Searl is a Professor and Sub Dean of
Simulation in the School of Nursing and Midwifery
at CQUniversity, but probably best renowned for her
companions Iva Sore, Muriel Moore and Cyril Smith.
Kerry grew up in Tasmania and went to art school studying
Fine Arts before she ventured into Nursing. She did her hospital
training as registered nurse in Hobart and her midwifery training
in Townsville and gained extensive nursing experience in the
Torres Strait and regional Queensland.
When Kerry moved to Rockhampton, she did her masters
degree in clinical education and PhD. She has been involved
in undergraduate nursing for the past 22 years and remains a
practicing clinician in the area of paediatrics.
Whilst involved in teaching students in a clinical environment,
Kerry was enticed by the idea of laboratory teaching where she
was able to utilise her passion for creativity and drama and
bringing it together in her teaching and learning.
Role play was always part of her teaching and one of the
challenges that she experienced was that if ‘in role’ students
can still see her face - they could still detect the lecturer under
the costume.
“Whilst we had fun and engagement in the classroom, what was
missing was the ability for students to really see me seriously as a
patient and also to remove the teacher-student power imbalance.
I then started looking for ways I could be hidden as the teacher.”
At first, Kerry tried with solid masks, but it was only until she partnered with
a Hollywood mask-maker to create realistic flexible silicon props (masks) that
the idea really took off.
“I was able to use the props in class to better engage the students and
give them a true patient-nurse experience within the safety of the classroom
before they enter the intimidating hospital environment,” Kerry said. Through
her ‘masked’ character, she becomes a believable patient with an identity and
complete medical history.
Although Kerry created her first mask, out of paper mache, when she was 10
years old, the first actual character she developed was Iva Sore.
“Iva was a delightful lady in her senior years with a creative sense of humour.
She would gather little treasures in her handbag giving students a reason to
engage, but I wanted something more serious,” she explained. She wanted
more serious characters that students could teach and learn through, and that’s
when she came across her masks.
After winning a teaching award, Kerry was able to purchase her first masks
and while playing those characters she was able to see the students’ reactions
and their engagement in the classroom.
Encouraged by her twin sister’s remark that ‘she was doing far more than she
realised’ she continued to develop the pedagogy that sat behind the technique.
According to Kerry, the most important principle behind the technique is that
the ‘hidden expert’ sits behind the plot. It is the ‘hidden expert’ that turns into a
patient who has a history which allows them to be the platform for learning and
teaching. “The character’s history has to be carefully constructed as they are in
the learning space for a reason,“ she said.
All the characters, each with a level of
authenticity, must be able to verbalise
what is going on. Through the technique,
students are empowered – the characters
develop a relationship with the students,
always engaging them and helping them by
sharing their knowledge and giving tips on
how to do things.
For example, one of her favourite
characters, Cyril Smith, is a retired butcher
and loves to talk about anatomy and
physiology and what’s beneath the skin. He
is also a first aid guru, so he is always on
about priority care.
Cyril has a grand-daughter doing
nursing and who’s books he read
and he’s been in and out of hospital
himself so he draws on experiences
and stories and reckons he
knows enough to challenge the
nursing students,” Kerry said.
Students will meet Cyril Smith
in their first year, first term and they
will be involved with elements of his
care throughout the curriculum. He
also goes to their graduation dinner,
dressed in a suit, to thank them and
to congratulate them and saying how
proud he is of what they’ve
accomplished.
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