Acting like a patient at work

Wearing a purple wig, Kim Marie Falk ’90 walked into the simulation lab at the school of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, playing the role of a teenage patient. For a simulation education specialist, it’s all in a day’s work.

At her job, Falk mentors new instructors, writes scenarios for nursing students to portray in their simulation classes and “acts” as various patients. Her career began as a nursing student at Messiah College.

“The good thing about nursing is, there is so much you can do with a general nursing degree,” said Falk who went on to receive an MSN in adult health at the University of Pennsylvania.

A background in theatre also has helped Falk as she portrays all sorts of patients—from child to octogenarian, with various maladies—to help her students gain real-life experience in medical scenarios. As a student, she was a member of Messiah College’s Players, a group for students who enjoyed theatre but weren’t majoring in it. Although she loved acting, she never imagined incorporating it into her profession as a nurse.

It’s one of those weird things where it’s a small part of your life, but it’s something you enjoy,” said Falk of her theatre experience. “It’s kind of neat how God knew that and wrapped it into my job. I didn’t know how much I was missing that.

In her free time, Falk serves at her church, teaching Sunday school and participating on the missions committee. She says she integrates faith into her work simply through daily interactions with those around her.

“It’s just a part of who I am and my colleagues know that,” said Falk. “I don’t pray before my classes en masse, but that doesn’t mean I don’t pray for my students on my own. I think it’s very easy in nursing to have a strong faith, because it’s very help oriented.”

— Myriam Pedercini ’17