Empathy Simulation Training Suit and Training Program
About the Empathy Simulation Training Suit
The Empathy Simulation Training Suit is a collaborative project led by the Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health in partnership with the School of Rural Health in Orange and the Commercial Development and Industry Partnerships unit at the University of Sydney.
Over the past ten years the Empathy Suit has been used as an in-house simulation training tool for over 250 health sciences students studying at the Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health.
Aims of the Empathy Suit
The Empathy Suit is designed to:
- give the wearer a first-hand opportunity to experience what it feels like to live with and care for a person with an age or disability related physical impairment,
- build an experiential understanding of the importance of empathy in healthcare,
- encourage healthcare workers to incorporate this into their professional practice.
After significant interest from the aged care and health service industries, the Empathy Suit and a one-day training package are available for purchase.
Learn about how the Empathy Suit works
What's it like to live with a disability? An introduction to the Empathy Simulation Training Suit.
Empathy Simulation Suit Training Program
- An experiential understanding of some of the challenges that people living with disability or age related physical impairments face in their daily lives.
- Build participants experiential understanding of the social marginalisation and isolation that can be experienced by people living with a disability or age-related physical impairment.
- Challenge participants’ existing perceptions of the difficulties of undertaking daily activities with a disability or age-related physical impairment.
- Generate a greater sense of empathy among current and future health professionals, particularly those working in the provision and delivery of health services for people with disability or age-related physical impairments.
- While originally designed for inter-professional groups of undergraduate health science students, the Empathy Suit Training Program is relevant and suitable for any person or health professional whose work (including unpaid carer’s work) involves the provision of health services and/or care for people living with an age or disability related physical impairment.
- The Empathy Simulation Suit Training Program is designed as a full day experiential learning activity. It can be delivered by educators in a face-to-face format in conjunction with the Empathy Simulation Training Suit – Training Manual. The programme can be adapted to meet local needs and situations.
How can I purchase a suit or book the training?
After significant interest from the aged care and health service industries, the Empathy Suit and a one-day training package are available for purchase.
Please either complete our enquiry form or send us an email at: empathy-suit.info@sydney.edu.au.
More about the Empathy Simulation Training Suit
- Over 250 undergraduate health science students from a range of universities across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia have participated in the full day Empathy Suit simulation program in Broken Hill.
- One of our longstanding partners, the ACH Group has currently trained over 800 staff. ACH Group is a not-for-profit organisation providing aged care services across South Australia and Victoria.
- Empathy Suit gives aged care workers insight into challenges older patients face
Read the full story on The Senior here. - Paul Bennett is teaching empathy and enhancing student learning experiences
Read the full story here.
- Paul Bennett, Researcher and PHC Education Officer
- Anna Noonan, Business Development Manager, Regional NSW and Rural Health
Contact us at:
E: empathy-suit.info@sydney.edu.au
- Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health
- School of Rural Health (Dubbo/Orange)
- ACH Group
- Far West Local Health District
- City of Broken Hill and local Broken Hill community
- Past and present students at Broken Hill UDRH