Freeman Kirsty J, Nestel Debra, Houghton Stephen, Carr Sandra E
Rural Clinical School of Western Australia, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
Simulation Education in Healthcare, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Adv Simul (Lond). 2025 Jul 22;10(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s41077-025-00369-9.
Impostor phenomenon (IP) is a common experience among healthcare professionals, characterised by persistent feelings of inadequacy, fear of being exposed as a fraud, and self-doubt, despite external evidence of competence. In healthcare simulation, where educators frequently transition between roles and responsibilities, little is known about how simulation educators experience and navigate IP throughout their careers. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of IP among healthcare simulation educators.
The study builds on our earlier work in which simulation educators used the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale for identifying self-reported IP. Participants were recruited through professional networks. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, we explored the lived experiences of 20 simulation educators. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using an iterative process of interpretation grounded in hermeneutic inquiry.
Four themes were identified: (1) I don't have the right badges, where educators described feeling unqualified and in constant need of external validation; (2) Now you see me, now you don't, illustrating how IP led participants to minimise themselves in professional settings; (3) Friend or foe, revealing the dual role of IP as both a motivator and a source of insecurity; and (4) Hello, my old friend, highlighting the cyclical nature of IP, where feelings of self-doubt resurface.
IP is a persistent and cyclical experience among healthcare simulation educators. While IP can drive some educators to strive for excellence, it can also lead to anxiety, self-minimisation, and missed opportunities. We call on the healthcare simulation community to develop and study strategies such as tailored professional development, mentorship, and communities of practice, to support educators in managing and mitigating negative impacts of IP on performance and well-being.
冒名顶替现象（IP）在医疗保健专业人员中很常见，其特征是尽管有外部能力证据，但仍持续存在能力不足感、害怕被揭露为骗子以及自我怀疑。在医疗模拟领域，教育工作者经常在角色和职责之间转换，对于模拟教育工作者在整个职业生涯中如何体验和应对冒名顶替现象知之甚少。本研究旨在探索医疗模拟教育工作者中冒名顶替现象的实际经历。
本研究基于我们早期的工作，在该工作中模拟教育工作者使用了克兰斯冒名顶替现象量表来识别自我报告的冒名顶替现象。通过专业网络招募参与者。采用诠释现象学方法，我们探索了20名模拟教育工作者的实际经历。进行了半结构化访谈，进行了录音，并逐字转录。使用基于诠释学探究的迭代解释过程对数据进行分析。
确定了四个主题：（1）我没有合适的资质，教育工作者描述了感觉自己不合格且不断需要外部认可的情况；（2）你现在看到我了，现在又看不到了，说明了冒名顶替现象如何导致参与者在专业环境中自我贬低；（3）朋友还是敌人，揭示了冒名顶替现象既是动力又是不安全感来源的双重作用；（4）你好，我的老朋友，突出了冒名顶替现象的循环性质，即自我怀疑的感觉会再次出现。
冒名顶替现象在医疗模拟教育工作者中是一种持续且循环的经历。虽然冒名顶替现象可以促使一些教育工作者追求卓越，但它也可能导致焦虑、自我贬低和错失机会。我们呼吁医疗模拟社区制定并研究诸如量身定制的专业发展、指导和实践社区等策略，以支持教育工作者管理和减轻冒名顶替现象对绩效和幸福感的负面影响。
