Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy - School of Psychology
Masters in Nursing (Intensive Care)
Senior Fellow - Higher Education Academy
Graduate Diploma - Critical Care Nursing
Graduate Certificate Education - Management & Leadership
Graduate Certificate: Higher Education (in progress)
Bachelor of Nursing
Completed International Fellowship - Center for Medical Simulation, Boston - USA
Completed foundational and advanced debriefing training with the Center for Medical Simulation, Boston - USA
Past faculty of the Center for Medical Simulation, Boston - USA
Past Chair: Australasian Society for Simulation in Healthcare
About our founder and managing director
Dr Melanie Barlow is a respected leadership and culture strategist with a deep commitment to transforming healthcare environments through courageous conversations, psychological safety, and values-based communication. With a background in clinical practice (Intensive Care Nursing), organisational leadership (Director of Simulation), higher education (Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy), and organisational development, Melanie brings a unique blend of frontline insight and strategic acumen to her work with hospital executives, clinical leaders and frontline staff.
Her work focuses on empowering individuals and teams to “check self,” “find their voice,” and “receive and action” feedback—pillars that have resonated strongly across clinical workforces. Melanie is particularly passionate about the role of the receiver in communication, advocating for leadership practices that foster trust, accountability, and cultural integrity.
She currently is employed as Associate Professor and a national academic lead at Australian Catholic University. She also holds an adjunct Associate Professor role with Curtin University. Melanie has held such positions such as the Director of Simulation in a large health service 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, Boston, USA, and completed her PhD through the School of Psychology at University of Queensland.
Melanie is also a podcaster - she started the Simulation Happy Hour podcast to build collaboration and share knowledge. The Reframing Conversations podcast is to support individuals and organisations enhance their communication, for more effective teamwork and wellbeing.
The Evidence: Research & Publications
Awards
Research Article of the Year - 2025
Barlow, M., Dickie, R., Jacob, A., Maver, S., Flynn, N., Blunt, A., Darzins, S., Davies, H., Smith-Tamaray, M. & Jacob, E. (2025). Understanding interprofessional co-debriefing practices within large scale ward-based simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 107, 101809. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2025.101809
Articles of Influence
2022-2023 International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare. Barlow, M., Watson, B., & Jones, E. (2023). Understanding observed receiver strategies in the healthcare speaking up context. International Journal of Healthcare Simulation, 1-12. DOI:/10.54531/sufd5615
2023-2024 International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare. 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
Excellence in Simulation
2023 ACU Vice-Chancellor Staff Excellence Award in the Excellence in Student Experience category for your project “Development and implementation of a National extended and immersive interprofessional ‘Ward for a Day’ simulation”.
Research
Early Career Researcher Award, International Association of Language and Social Psychology, 2024
Communication focused publications
Barlow, M. (in press). Chapter 7 Interprofessional Communication: How Identity Shapes Conversation. In Utley, J. & Gunaldo, T. (Ed’s), Interprofessional Education and Collaboration, 2nd Edition. Human Kinetics.
Barlow, M., Watson, B, Jones, L., Mavin, T. & Williams, C. (2025). Expanding CAT beyond health to the aviation industry. In Giles, H., Clementson, D., & Markowitz, D. (Eds.), New Directions for, and Panaceas arising from, Communication Accommodation. Peter Lang.
Barlow, M., Watson, B., Morse, K., Jones, E., & Maccallum, F. (2023). React, Reframe, Engage. Establishing a Receiver Mindset for more effective safety negotiations. Journal of Organization and Management, Ahead of print Sept 26. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-06-2023-0171
Barlow, M., Watson, B., Jones, E., Maccallum, F., Morse, K. & Rudolph, J. (2023). Building a Workplace-based Learning Culture: The ‘Receiver’s’ Perspective on Speaking Up. Journal of Applied Behavioural Sciences, 61(1). 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 Experiences in Healthcare Speaking Up: Empirical Research Qualitative. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2023.2249939
Barlow, M., Morse, K. J., 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. (2023). Understanding observed receiver strategies in the healthcare speaking up context. International Journal of Healthcare Simulation, 1-12. DOI:/10.54531/sufd5615
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. (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., Watson, B., & Rudolph, J. (2019). How being a great Receiver can change the game in speaking up conversations. MedEdPublish, 8.
Simulation focused publications
Barlow, M., Kikkawa, Y., Ryan, C., et al. (2026). Strengthening simulation design and cultural safe practice: End-user evaluation of the quality simulation assurance framework. Advances in Simulation. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-026-00454-7
Barlow, M., Dickie, R., Jacob, A., Maver, S., Flynn, N., Blunt, A., Darzins, S., Davies, H., Smith-Tamaray, M. & Jacob, E. (2025). Understanding interprofessional co-debriefing practices within large scale ward-based simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 107, 101809. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2025.101809
Reid-Searl, K., Barlow, M., Ryan, C. & Sidwell, D. (2025). Simulation learning in nursing. In Jackson, D., Daly, J., Bonner, A. & Bloomfield, J. (Eds.), Contexts of nursing (7th ed). Elsevier.
Kikkawa, Y., McIntosh, L., Mavin, T. J., Barlow, M., O’Brien, L., Hodge, S., & Janssens, S. (2025). Developing a learning tool for advanced life support and resuscitation: Performance Reflection Model for Resuscitation (PRM-Resus). BMC Medical Education, 25(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07509-9
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
Ryan, C., Kurup, C., Cant, R., Reid-Searl, K., Johnson, T., Barlow, M., & Heaton, L. (2023). Patient Safety Elements Taught to Preregistration Nurses Using Simulation Designs: An Integrative Review. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 84, 101453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2023.101453
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
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. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000577436.23986.81
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.
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.
Latest Presentations
Simulation Happy Hour podcast
Four nursing academics and friends who love talking about all things healthcare simulation related. Join us as we explore innovative as well as simple approaches to simulation design and delivery, share insights, and connect with fellow healthcare simulation enthusiasts from around the world.
Interviews
Guest speaker on the Curious Now podcast by the Center for Medical Simulation - Episodes 6A - 10A
Article Review
One of my SSH articles of the year was reviewed on Simulcast!
Keynote Speaker: June 2026
Barlow, M. (2026, June 5). The Communication Advantage: Why communication is today’s most critical superpower [opening keynote]. National Simulation User Network Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.
Keynote Speaker: September 2025
Barlow, M. (2025, September 22). Rethinking Safety Conversations [Webinar]. Victorian Simulation Alliance, Australia.
Speaker: August 2025
Barlow, M. (2025 August 13). QSAFe: Designing quality & culturally safe simulation. [presentation]. Australasian Simulation Congress, Adelaide, Australia.
Invited speaker:2023 - 2025
Barlow, M. (May). Engaging in Safety Negotiations. [invited speaker]. Australian Physiotherapy Association, Brisbane.
Invited speaker: June 2024
Brazil, V., Phrampus, P., & Barlow, M. (2024 June 6-7). Using Simulation to save lives, from education to patient [plenary panel]. National Simulation User Network Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.
Invited Speaker: August 2023
Barlow, M. (2023 August 21). “Are you speaking to me?” How having a receiver mindset is essential for safety [invited speaker]. 3rd World Congress on Nursing and Healthcare, London, England & MS Teams.
Keynote Speaker: October 2023
Barlow, M. (2024, April 15-16). The importance of having a ‘receiver mindset’ to enhance patient safety [presentation]. Global Summit on Nursing and Midwifery, Virtual conference