Keynote Speakers

Creating Space for Innovation in Gamification and Simulation in Nursing and Allied Health: Theories, Technologies, Tools, and Tricks

Professor Michael Joseph DINO, PhD, MAN, RN, LPT, FAAN, FFNMRCSI, ANEF, CPAHA

Associate Professor

University of Central Florida, USA

Director and Professor IV

Research Development and Innovation Center

Our Lady of Fatima University

Philippines

Profile

A multi-awarded nurse, researcher, and educator, Michael Joseph “MJ” Dino specializes in health informatics, gerotechnology, educational technologies, robotics, human-computer interaction (HCI), extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and academic integrity. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) and the first Asian to win the Nurse in the Limelight Innovator Award given by Connecting-Nurses in partnership with the International Council of Nurses. In addition to holding two doctorates, MJ is an alumnus of the Experienced Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy of Sigma Nursing and the Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) of the International Council of Nurses. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (USA), the National League for Nursing (USA), and the Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland). He is part of the Delphi Group, which pioneered the new definition of Nursing and Nurses (2025) at the International Council of Nurses, and Past President of the Phi Gamma Chapter, the first and only virtual chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. He is a sought-after speaker with a record of delivering plenary speaking engagements in over 20 countries. He was named the Outstanding Professional of the Year in Nursing by the Philippine Professional Regulatory Commission in 2023 – the highest recognition bestowed by the commission for Filipino professionals.

Keynote Address

Current simulation methodologies in nursing and allied health education demonstrate insufficient engagement with contemporary digitally native student populations. This keynote addresses the critical need for transformative educational frameworks through the integration of innovative gamification and simulation approaches that transcend traditional pedagogical constraints. The presentation is grounded in established theoretical foundations, including adult learning theory, human-centered design principles, and game-based learning methodologies. The analysis examines the influence of learning environments, institutional leadership structures, and strategic collaborative partnerships on the development of exceptional educational experiences. Additionally, the role of joy as both a motivational catalyst and a measurable educational outcome is investigated. This session examines emerging technological innovations transforming contemporary nursing education, specifically artificial intelligence-enabled adaptive learning systems and immersive extended reality simulation platforms that integrate virtual and clinical practice environments. Comprehensive strategic implementation methodologies and evidence-based best practices for addressing institutional adoption barriers are presented. Through the examination of empirical case studies and current research initiatives, this presentation demonstrates quantifiable improvements in learning outcomes, student satisfaction metrics, and clinical competency assessment. Participants will acquire evidence-based methodologies to serve as agents of educational transformation, facilitating innovative learning environments that optimize student achievement and professional development. The session provides educators and administrators with theoretical frameworks and practical implementation strategies necessary for advancing pedagogical innovation.

Fusing Virtual Reality with High-Fidelity Simulation: Advancing Interprofessional Team Training

Dr CHUA Wei-ling

Assistant Professor

Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

National University of Singapore

Singapore

Profile

Dr Chua Wei Ling is an Assistant Professor at the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS). She is a nurse academic and health services researcher with a strong focus on patient safety, simulation-based education, and nursing workforce development.

Her research centres on three interrelated areas: (1) rapid response systems, with a focus on the early recognition and timely escalation of clinically deteriorating patients; (2) sepsis care across the continuum, from early recognition to post-acute recovery; and (3) nursing workforce wellbeing and development, including strategies to improve nurse retention, as well as the roles, competencies, and collaborative practices needed to sustain high-quality care. A key emphasis across her work is the role of interprofessional and intraprofessional collaboration in improving patient outcomes and system performance.

Dr Chua leads and contributes to multiple studies involving the implementation of nurse-driven sepsis protocols, evaluation of rapid response systems in acute hospitals, the use of virtual and high-fidelity simulation in education, and the evaluation of nursing care models and flexible workforce strategies. She is the programme lead for the final-year nursing–medicine simulation-based interprofessional education at NUS and teaches emergency and critical care nursing management at the undergraduate level. She also teaches postgraduate courses in measurement theory and instrument validation.

She collaborates actively with clinical partners and international researchers to translate evidence into education, practice, and policy. Her work aims to strengthen healthcare delivery by aligning workforce capability, wellbeing, and system design.

Keynote Address

Simulation-based education is a core component of pre-registration healthcare training, supporting the development of clinical competence and interprofessional collaboration. High-fidelity simulation (HFS) provides realistic, team-based learning environments where learners can apply knowledge, practice communication, and respond to clinical scenarios. Virtual reality simulation (VRS) is an emerging modality that offers immersive, scalable, and repeatable experiences. When used alongside HFS, VRS can enhance learner preparation, engagement, and confidence—particularly in the context of complex, time-sensitive conditions.

This keynote will explore how VRS can be integrated with HFS to strengthen interprofessional team training at the pre-registration level. Case examples will be drawn from training programs focused on sepsis recognition and management, and team response during resuscitation. These examples will illustrate how VRS can support clinical decision-making, team communication, and situational awareness¾skills that are further reinforced during team-based HFS.

Key considerations for implementation will be discussed, including scenario selection, alignment with interprofessional learning outcomes, and faculty development. The session will offer practical strategies for simulation educators to adopt blended approaches that better prepare healthcare students for collaborative, safe, and effective clinical practice.

Escaping Tradition: Creating Hero Moments with Gamification in Healthcare Education

Dr Michelle FREELING

Lecturer in Nursing

Adelaide University

Australia

Profile

Dr Michelle Freeling is a Lecturer in Nursing at UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences. With clinical expertise in perioperative and community nursing, her PhD focused on nurse presenteeism in the operating room, intensive care unit, and emergency department. Her research interests include nurse well-being, workforce continuity in high acuity settings, work-life conflict, experiences of workplace violence among nursing students.

At UniSA, Michelle coordinates courses such as Perioperative Nursing and Decision-Making for Midwifery and Nursing Practice. She also collaborates closely with Local Health Networks to facilitate post-graduate clinical nursing education. A significant aspect of Michelle’s work is integrating gamification into healthcare education. She is particularly passionate about designing educational escape rooms, using constructive alignment to create innovative and effective learning experiences. Through escape room education, Michelle aims to enhance student engagement and knowledge retention, making complex subjects more accessible and enjoyable, to ultimate improve knowledge retention.

Keynote Address

In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, traditional education methods often fall short in engaging and motivating learners, especially in our post-COVID world. This presentation explores how gamification can revolutionise educational experiences by immersing and motivating learners.

Healthcare is increasingly challenging, with issues such as the global nursing shortage, highlighting the need for innovative training solutions. Gamification, which involves applying game design principles to non-game contexts, offers a solution by addressing the limitations of conventional educational strategies. This approach fosters dynamic and interactive learning experiences, addressing barriers of reduced attention spans and novel ways of learning, crucial for preparing future healthcare professional for safe practice.

Central to this transformation is the concept of Hero Moments. These impactful instances within gamified environments provide learners with a sense of achievement and progress, key to unlocking engagement and fostering connections. Neuroscience supports this approach, showing that such moments can significantly enhance learning by engaging the brain’s reward system. We need to understand the significance of these moments both in a learning context and in our professional and personal lives.

This keynote will explore the significance of Hero Moments, and how to create these moments to ensure they resonate deeply with learners. Through real-world examples, attendees will see how Hero Moments significantly enhances learner engagement, and fosters connection, in healthcare education. These examples highlight improved educational outcomes such as knowledge retention, and better preparation for the challenges of healthcare.

Additionally, the presentation will offer examples of incorporating gamification into healthcare curricula, from Australian nursing education. Practical, simple implementation strategies and available tools and resources will be discussed, with user data and stories shared throughout.

Join us to explore how escaping traditional methods of healthcare education can revolutionise what we are already doing. By creating immersive and motivating learning experiences which include Hero Moments, we can better prepare future healthcare professionals for the challenges ahead – leading to safer, happier clinicians.

Innovative Multispecialty Advancements in Healthcare Simulation Training

Dr Daniel WONG

Director of the Nethersole Clinical Simulation Training Centre

Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital

Hong Kong

Profile

Dr Wong is an accomplished medical professional with extensive experience in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as clinical simulation training. He serves as the Director of the Nethersole Clinical Simulation Training Centre and Consultant and Chief of Service for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.

As a pioneer of simulation training in obstetrics and gynecology in Hong Kong since 2014, Dr Wong is a Graduated Trainer from the Institute for Medical Simulation (IMS), Harvard Medical School, and the Clinical Simulation Instructor Workshop by the Nethersole Clinical Simulation Training Centre, Hospital Authority. He has collaborated with various departments, including A&E, Paediatrics, Anaesthesiology, and ICU, to enhance obstetric emergency training. Most recently, he has taken on the role of Programme Director for Cross-Cluster Simulation Training in Obstetric Emergencies, working across multiple hospital clusters, including HKWC, KCC, and KWC, to advance multidisciplinary training and improve patient outcomes.

Keynote Address

The Nethersole Clinical Simulation Training Center (NCSTC), under the Hospital Authority, stands as a pioneer in multispecialty healthcare simulation, integrating cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary approaches to enhance clinical competency and patient safety. Unique to our center are specialized programs addressing high-stakes scenarios: Inspiring from COVID-19, the novel infectious disease (NID) course equipping healthcare professionals with protocols for emerging pathogens; The critical care transport course simulating high-risk patient transfers; Joint multispecialty ascenario-based training, exemplified by the Quartet Simulation Workshop of Emergency Delivery and Neonatal Resuscitation program involving Accident and Emergency, O&G (Obstetrics and Gynecology), Paediatrics and Anaesthesiology doctors and nurses; Cross-specialty and cross-cluster collaborations, such as O&G (Obstetrics and Gynecology) simulations bridging maternal-fetal medicine with pediatrics across hospital clusters; Finally comes the brand new aligned health scenario-based training within the Hospital Authority, fostering seamless integration among physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals.

Innovative modalities further distinguish our offerings. Our 3D Model printing team, winning many international awards, produced various high fidelity training models for different workshops. Eye-tracking technology provides real-time gaze analysis during simulations, revealing cognitive decision-making patterns and enabling targeted debriefing to refine situational awareness. HoloLens augmented reality overlays holographic anatomical models and procedural guides onto mannequins, allowing immersive, interactive learning without physical constraints, particularly valuable in complex surgical and diagnostic rehearsals.

Since 2014, we have organized so far 8 “Train the Trainer” courses, cultivating a robust pool of simulation instructors across diverse specialties. This initiative has empowered over 100 trainers, promoting sustainable in-house expertise and standardized simulation pedagogy cluster-wide. These advancements not only elevate individual skills but also strengthen system-wide resilience, reducing errors in real-world multispecialty care. By bridging disciplines and leveraging technology, the Nethersole Center redefines simulation training as a dynamic, evidence-based pillar of modern healthcare education.