Trainers at a nationally recognized healthcare leader in Scottsdale, AZ understand the benefits of experiential training—and the effective use of live actors in their program design. My experiences over the last four years with faculty in their School of Graduate Medical Education have been illuminating. In carefully designed, very effective programs, professional actors have become a staple and a valued asset of each session.
Prior to their involvement with the Standardized Patient and Crucial Conversations programs at this institution, actors are given the same, careful education clinic staff will also receive. In addition, they receive specialized training in active listening, positive feedback techniques and sensitivity to the culture of the healthcare workplace.
Then, before each resident training session begins, program facilitators meet with the actors to plan scenarios for role plays and demonstrations. Questions are raised and freely discussed. If necessary, special issues within the participant group are addressed. During the day-long training, actors are fully engaged as group participants. Far from being treated as props or hired guns, actors are encouraged to join in group dialogue and critique, offering personal observations and insights. At the conclusion of each workshop, actors and facilitators meet again to debrief and evaluate the day’s activities.
This methodology has worked quite well over the last three years. As a result of that success, actors are now also working with individual hospital departments in their staff trainings and evaluations. Over time, as new insights have been identified, small but meaningful “tweaks” have been applied to the system. As relationships have grown, actors have become progressively more involved in program discussion, design and application. Before, during and after trainings, we work with program developers and facilitators as integral partners.
I see great potential for a wider application of this model. Any organization whose success depends on the quality of its members’ interpersonal relations and communications (and whose does not?) can benefit from experiential training using live actors. Applications for service-based companies are especially intriguing. (previous page) 
