Show Me
Specialised Learning Environments & Simulation - Faculty of Health Sciences
Areas of expertise: simulation; nursing; health education; speaking up; communication; simulation faculty development
Phone: 3623 6391
Email: Mel.barlow@acu.edu.au
Location: ACU Brisbane Campus
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1192-5757
Melanie is a registered nurse, senior lecturer and the academic lead for specialised learning environments and simulation. Following registration, she gained experience in general medical and surgical nursing before specialising in Intensive Care where she obtained her Masters in Intensive Care nursing. Melanie went on to hold education roles within Intensive Care and new graduate programs and clinical placements. Since 2011, she has focused on designing and delivering simulation programs and managing simulation and structured educational programs.
Melanie has held such positions as the Director of Simulation and Head of Evaluation and Research at Mater Education, Brisbane and was previously Chair of the national healthcare simulation body, the Australian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (ASSH). Melanie has undertaken an international fellowship in simulation with the Center for Medical Simulation, within the Harvard Medical system in Boston, USA. She currently sits on the Regional Interest Group for the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation In Healthcare (INACSL).
Melanie has a passion is improving healthcare communication having undertaken her PhD in the field. Her research explored how healthcare professionals receive messages in the speaking up context and how this can be enhanced to improve interprofessional communication and ultimately patient safety.
Melanie's publications are within the fields of simulation and healthcare communication.
Barlow, M., Heaton, L., Ryan, C., Downer, T., Reid-Searl, K., Guinea, S., ... & Andersen, P. (2024). The Application and Integration of Evidence-Based Best Practice Standards to Healthcare Simulation Design: A Scoping Review. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 87, 101495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2023.101495
Barlow, M., Watson, B., Morse, K., Jones, E., & Maccallum, F. (2023). React, reframe and engage. Establishing a receiver mindset for more effective safety negotiations. Journal of Health Organization and Management.https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-06-2023-0171
Barlow, M., Watson, B., Jones, E., Maccallum, F., & Morse, K. J. (2023). The influence of professional identity on how the receiver receives and responds to a speaking up message: a cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01178-z
Barlow, M., Morse, C., Watson, B., & Maccallum, F. (2023). Identification of the barriers and enablers for receiving a speaking up message: A content analysis approach. Advances in Simulation 8(1), 17 https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-023-00256-1
Barlow, M., Watson, B., Jones, E., Morse, K. J., Maccallum, F., & Rudolph, J. (2023). Building a Workplace-Based Learning Culture: The "Receiver's" Perspective on Speaking Up. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00218863231190951
Barlow, M., Watson, B., Jones, E., Morse, K., & Maccallum, F. (2023) The application of communication accommodation theory to understand receiver reactions in healthcare speaking up interactions, Journal of Interprofessional Care, https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2023.2249939
Barlow, M., Watson, B., & Jones, E. (2023). Understanding observed receiver strategies in the healthcare speaking up context. International Journal of Healthcare Simulation. [published ahead of press]. https://ijohs.com/article/doi/10.54531/SUFD5615
Barlow, M. (2021). Enhancing intergroup communication in healthcare: The role of the receiver. Focus on Health Professional Education, 22(3), 78-84. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v22i3.523
Barlow, M., Dickie, R., Morse, C., Bonney, D., & Simon, R. (2017). Documentation framework for healthcare simulation quality improvement activities. Advances in simulation 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-017-0053-2
Barlow, M., Watson, B., & Rudolph, J. (2019). How being a great Receiver can change the game in speaking up conversations. MedEdPublish, 8.
Barlow, M. Podcast interview: Center for Medical Simulation, episode 62. The science of speaking up
Brady, S., Bogossian, F., Gibbons, K., Wells, A., Lyon, P., Bonney, D., Barlow, M., & Jackson, A. (2013). A protocol for evaluating progressive levels of simulation fidelity in the development of technical skills, integrated performance and woman centred clinical assessment skills in undergraduate midwifery students. BMC medical education, 13(1), 1-7.
Dench, B., Barwick, S., & Barlow, M. (2020). It's time for the mandatory use of simulation and human factors in hospital design. Australian Health Review, 44(4), 547-549.
Morse, C., Fey, M., Kardong-Edgren, S., Mullen, A., Barlow, M., & Barwick, S. (2019). The changing landscape of simulation-based education. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 119(8), 42-48.
2024
Invited speaker: Australian Physiotherapy Association, Brisbane. Engaging in Safety Negotiations.
2023
Invited speaker: 3rd World Congress on Nursing and Healthcare, London. "Are you speaking to me?" How having a receiver mindset is essential for safety.
Invited speaker: Australian Physiotherapy Association, Brisbane. Engaging in Safety Negotiations.
Invited speaker: National Simulation User Network Conference, Gold Coast. Enhancing student engagement in feedback and reflective conversations using SimCapture.
Presenter: FHS Snapshots, Quality Simulation Assurance Framework (QSAFe).
Presenter: ACU CEI Showcase, Quality Simulation Assurance Framework (QSAFe) for the enhancement of simulation-based health curriculum.
Presenter: ACU FHS Simulation Showcase, Development and Evaluation of the Quality Simulation Assurance Framework (QSAFe).
2022
Keynote speaker: M. Barlow. Laerdal Simulation User Network Conference, Brisbane. 'Zoning your simulation program for maximum impact'.
Invited speaker: M. Barlow. CHARM conference, Canberra, 'Are you speaking up to me?' Receiver perspectives on speaking up conversations.
Invited speaker: M. Barlow. 17th International Conference for Language and Social Psychology, Hong Kong. Panel member - Diversity and Health Communication. 'Receiver perspectives on accommodative speaking up behaviour'.
2021
Invited speaker: M. Barlow. University of Queensland Interprofessional Community of Practice
University of Queensland Nursing symposium
2019
Invited speaker: J. Rudolph, M. Barlow. Orthopaedic Grand Rounds, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston: Speaking up.
Keynote speaker: M. Barlow. Simulation User Network (SUN) national conference, Sydney: 'Looking back, moving forward'.
Invited panellist: Simulation User Network Conference, Sydney: 'Faculty Development'.
Presenter:M. Barlow; S. Barwick; R, Dickie. Australian Simulation Congress, Gold Coast: Speaking With Good Judgement.
Melanie's research interest is in simulation, particularly novel applications of simulation, simulation design and faculty development in simulation pedagogy.
Her current work focuses on healthcare communication. Her PhD explored the role the receiver plays in speaking up conversations and how professional identity impacts how we hear and receive these messages.
Title: Improving Advanced Life Support training for frontline healthcare workers under novel conditions
Date: 2020-2024
Grant Applicants: Kikkawa, Y., McIntosh, L., Janssens, S., Marvin, T., Barlow, M., Barwick, S., Hodge, S. & Bull, D.
Funding body: 2020 Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship (AQIRF)
Funding: $180,000.00 (AQRIF)
Title: Interprofessional Immersive Extended Ward-based Simulation Project: IPE scenario development
Date: 2022-2023
Grant Applicants: Jacob, E., Dickie, R., Barlow, M., Darzins, S., Jacob, A., Davis, H., Maver, S., Flynn, N., Rafanelli, J., Smith-Tamaray, M., Blunt, A., Harris, S. & Quinney, R.
Funding body: Australian Catholic University (Provost Funding)
Title: Interprofessional Immersive Extended Ward-based Simulation Project: SWIPED@ACU - Simulated Ward for a Day - Interprofessional Education Debriefing
Date: 2022-2023
Grant Applicants: Dickie, R., Barlow, M., Jacobs, E., Darzins, S., Jacob, A., Davis, H., Maver, S., Flynn, N., Rafanelli, J., Smith-Tamaray, M., Blunt, A., Harris, S. & Quinney, R.
Funding body: Australian Catholic University (Learning & Teaching grant)
Funding: $10,000.00
Title: Quality Simulation Assurance Framework (QSAFe) for the enhancement of simulation-based curriculum
Date: 2022- current
Grant Applicants: Barlow, M., Andersen, P., Guinea, S., Ryan, C., Reid-Searl, K., Levett-Jones, T., Heaton, L., Eaton, N., Wordsworth, A., Lamb, A., Hawes, P., Downer, T., Dickie, R. & Russ-Smith, J.
Funding body: Australian Catholic University (Faculty of Health Science & Center for Education and Innovation, Central Queensland University (CQU).
Funding:, $4,148.75 (ACU FHS Teaching and Learning grant), $11, 032.80 (ACU Teaching Development grant), $7,098.41 (CQU seed grant)
Title: Registered and Enrolled nurse work readiness simulation training.
Date: 2022-current
Grant Applicants: Barwick, S. Barlow, M. Walker, K.
Funding body: Mater Education & Australian Catholic University (Faculty of Health Science)
Title: Clinical Supervision Program.
Date: Bonney D. and Barlow M.
Funding body: Queensland Regional Training Network
Funding: $150,000
Title: Speaking with Good Judgement - an organisation-wide cultural change program (Design and implementation)
Date: 2017-2020
Grant Applicants: Barlow, M., Bonney, D.
Funding body: Mater Health Services
Funding: $336,240