All Things Debriefing – Building Confidence and Capability

On Wednesday, 29 October 2025, the NHS England North East and North Faculty of Patient Safety Simulation Workstream proudly hosted a face-to-face session titled “All Things Debriefing” at Northumbria University. This event brought together 22 simulation educators from across the North East and North Cumbria with a shared goal: to strengthen confidence and capability in conducting effective debriefings. Through interactive exercises and group discussions, educators tackled challenging scenarios and refined their facilitation skills.

The session was expertly chaired by Jean-François Ringeval, MPM, RN, Clinical Educator II and MedSim Educator at Elevate Healthcare. With over two decades of experience spanning military healthcare, emergency and trauma care, and global leadership in simulation-based training, Jean-François is renowned for advancing immersive, human-centered simulation programmes that emphasise technical skills, decision-making, and teamwork under pressure.

What the Day Delivered

Drawing on the diverse professional backgrounds of educators across the North East and North Cumbria region, the training explored the core principles of debriefing, experimented with multiple structured models, and highlighted how varied approaches can significantly enrich learning outcomes. A strong emphasis was placed on navigating challenging debriefing situations and building practical “life saver” strategies to support psychologically safe, learner-centred debriefings.

Three Key Takeaways

1. Debriefing is a structured, intentional process – not improvisation.

   
   

   A clear framework supports deeper reflection, consistent outcomes, and better learner engagement.

2. Variety in debriefing models elevates learning and inclusivity.

   
   

   Approaches such as Plus-Delta, Advocacy-Inquiry, and PEARLS allow educators to adapt to scenario complexity and learner needs.

3. Practical “life saver” techniques help manage difficult debriefs.

   
   

   Strategies for handling emotional reactions, dominant or silent participants, and challenging clinical content ensure debriefings remain constructive and safe.

This session reinforced that effective debriefing is both an art and a science, requiring structure, adaptability, and psychological safety to maximise learning outcomes.

The next All Things Debriefing will be offered on-line and is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 10^th February 2026.