Rachel Chen1, Branco Wu², Morgan Clayton^3
1Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine; ²Logan Hospital; ³Ipswich Hospital

At a forensic service in Melbourne, Victoria, the initiation of a significant multi-disciplinary workforce expansion highlighted the need to optimise training processes and standardise the skillset of a cohort of forensic nurse examiners and medical officers with little prior forensic experience. The acquisition of clinical knowledge, examination techniques, and the non-technical skills required in working with the unique needs of victim-survivors poses a unique challenge to forensic medical services across Australia.  

A pilot training program utilising the principles of healthcare simulation was developed and trialed with the new cohort of staff. We report on our experience and staff responses to this medical education method which is not often applied in Clinical Forensic Medicine. We believe there is potential for further development and implementation of simulation training programs in our clinical forensic setting and others across Australia.