ONE of Millicent’s best known actors has received a prestigious award for her dedicated efforts in helping future general practitioners develop their patient interaction skills through a unique simulated patient program.
For almost two decades, well-known performer Jan Armit has volunteered her time with the Flinders University Rural Health South Australia Parallel Rural Community Curriculum, which introduces medical students to regional medicine.
Ms Armit was awarded the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum Dean’s Award for her efforts, including acting as a standardised patients for students and serving on various program and prize panel boards.
Ms Armit said she started her hospital involvement as a standardised patient through the Millicent theatre group the Company of Seven.
“When I arrived in Millicent in 1966 after moving from the United Kingdom, my neighbour was a member of the company and asked if I wanted to join,” she said.
“I had only been in Australia for a fortnight and ended up in their production using a watering can to make the sound of rain.
“After 25 years, I was retired and I went back to the theatre which was the company was asked if members were willing to act as standardised patients for training nurses to practice their skills with.”
A simulated patient is an individual trained to act as a real patient in order to simulate a set of symptoms or problems.
Medical students are provided with the opportunity to learn and practice the interaction between patient and doctor in a supportive learning environment.
“A standardised patient basically involves acting out an illness or injury to help training nurses, ambulance officers and doctors to learn how to identify the cause and treat patients,” she said.
“Initially, I became more involved as I had time and visited many hospitals in the region including Mount Gambier, Millicent, Kingston, Bordertown, Naracoorte and Penola.
“Eventually, Professor Lucie Walters approached the theatre group in 2001 which was when I began to act as a standardised patient for medical students at the Mount Gambier Hospital.”
Ms Armit said she had previously acted as a suicidal women who has attempted an overdose, a snake bite victim screaming in a paddock and a cancer patient.
“I think because I have a past background in acting, I find it easier than somebody else might,” she said.
“If you find they are struggling with asking questions, I am allowed to give hints.
“After we are finished, we discuss what they have done and try to point out the things they could have possibly missed, which is the teaching part.”
Ms Armit said the feeling of helping future leaders in health was rewarding.
“At functions and events, you can bump into them and they put there arms out for a hug and say ‘here comes old Jan’,” she said.
“You see them qualified and you think ‘I was there at the start’.”
Ms Armit praised the 12-month regional health program as highly successful.
“People from the city do not know where Millicent of any of the other small regional towns are and you always have to explain it is near Mount Gambier,” she said.
“This program is very important for the region and I think it is magical if we can get these lovely, young people to stay with us.”
Flinders University Rural Health South Australia program administrator Jacqui Michalski said Ms Armit has become a friendly face for students to turn to.
“She has made herself available for a range of things over the years, embraces the students and staff and fills the room with cheer where ever she is,” Ms Michalski said.
“Jan’s community spirit is the heart of the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum and whenever she goes anywhere, she lights up the room.
“She is vibrant, happy, enthusiastic and we are lucky to have her here.”
Celebrating her 80th birthday last week, Ms Armit said she hoped to continue her service for as long as she could.
