Dr Alan Platt

Associate Professor

Department: Nursing, Midwifery & Health

I am an Associate Professor of Simulation-Based Education (SBE) and Head of Clinical Simulation in the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University. A role that encompasses the strategic leadership of SBE, including the co-ordination of the development, delivery, performance and review of SBE across all the Department's provision, from undergraduate/pre-registration to post-qualifying/post-registration programmes. Working with the Departmental management team to plan, deliver, monitor and manage various portfolios including learning and teaching, student experience, student employability. research and innovation, and knowledge exchange in the the context of SBE.

I qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1988 and specialised in Critical Care where I was appointed as a charge nurse in 1998. During this time, I developed a keen interest in healthcare education and, in 2001, I was appointed as a lecturer practitioner in critical care and it was in this role that I developed my passion for SBE.

In 2006, I joined Northumbria University as a senior lecturer, which incorporated module lead and programme lead for a number of undergraduate programmes. This role also included the development of SBE in the undergraduate healthcare programmes. This led to me being recognised nationally and internationally for the development of SBE and, its integration into nursing curricula. In 2014, I was awarded the title of Teaching Fellow by Northumbria University, for my innovative SBE work, which in June 2016 this to led my appointment as an Associate Professor of SBE. I completed my Professional Doctorate (Education) on the use of SBE in healthcare education in 2019

I am passionate about SBE and have published and presented nationally and internationally on the subject. I served on the executive committee of the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) from 2010 – 2014 and, during this time, I worked as a National Simulation Development Officer (SDO). In addition, I was vice president (Ad-interim) of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning – Chapter Europe (INACSL – Chapter Europe) from 2015 - 2019.

In recognition of my contribution to the development of SBE, I was awarded an ASPiH Fellowship in November 2017. Currently, I am a member of the National Simulation Reference Group.

Campus Address

Room D108, Coach Lane Campus West
Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE7 7XA

Email Alan

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Simulation-based Education as a learning and teaching methodology.
Instructional design and educational psychology theories in healthcare education.
Inter-professional education
Critical Care practice

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Effects of the Simulation Using Team Deliberate Practice (Sim-TDP) model on the performance of undergraduate nursing students, Platt, A., McMeekin, P., Prescott-Clements, L. 1 Mar 2021, In: BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning
Effects of a single interprofessional simulation session on medical and nursing students’ attitudes toward interprofessional learning and professional identity: a questionnaire study, Burford, B., Greig, P., Kelleher, M., Merriman, C., Platt, A., Richards, E., Davidson, N., Vance, G. 1 Dec 2020, In: BMC Medical Education
Global citizens, Porteous, D., Morgan, D., Solomon, J., Platt, A., Allan, J., Shao, J., Conner, A. 9 May 2019, In: British Journal of Nursing
Debriefing with team deliberate practice: An instructional design to enhance the performance of undergraduate nursing students in recognising the deteriorating patient, Platt, A., Prescott-Clements, L., McMeekin, P. 27 Jun 2018, In: Advances in Simulation
Debriefing with team deliberate practice: Accelerating learning curves to maximise delivery and optimise participant learning in simulation-based education, Platt, A., Prescott-Clements, L., McMeekin, P. 6 Nov 2017, Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare 8th Annual Conference 2017
Debriefing with Team Deliberate Practice: Maximising Delivery and Optimising Participant Learning in Simulation Based Education, Platt, A., McMeekin, P., Prescott-Clements, L. 21 Jun 2017, The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning Annual Conference
Improving patient safety through Chemotherapy Simulation., Walton, G., Platt, A. 17 Oct 2016, European Oncology Nursing Society 10 Conference
“Registrar ready” – a pilot study day simulating a night shift to develop departmental management skills for emergency medicine trainees transitioning on the middle grade and senior rotas, Williamson, K., Platt, A., Hurley, J., Stock, N., Hunter, I. 15 Nov 2016, In: BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning
Simulation in England – Replacing practice with simulation: Ensuring quality in the design and delivery of SBE to optimise learning, Platt, A. Feb 2016, Nordic Conference on Simulation in Health Sciences Education
The OSCE in Nursing Education: Pre-registration to Post-qualifying perspectives, Platt, A., McQueen, S., Allan, J. 4 Feb 2016, Nordic Conference on Simulation in Health Sciences Education

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Invited talk: Theory to Practice: The Simulation Connection 2019

Further Information

Professional Activity:

The UK National Simulation Reference Group, Nursing and University representative
Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare, Fellow
Health Education England North East (HENE) Regional Simulation Steering Group, Northumbria University representative
Society in Europe for Simulation Allied to Medicine (SESAM), member
British Association of Critical Care Nurses, member

Previous activity

Vice president (Ad-interim) - the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning – Chapter Europe (INACSL – Chapter Europe), 2015 – 2019
International Facilitator - The International Nursing Association for Simulated Clinical Learning (INACSL) -CAE Healthcare Simulation Fellowship, 2015 -2017
Executive committee member - Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH), 2010 – 2014
National Simulation Development Officer (SDO) - Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) from 2014 – 2016