Abstract
Research suggests that debriefing is the most important component of simulation. Debriefing is the time when participants think over and reflect on what happened during the simulated experience. The aim of this research is to gain insight into the experience of facilitating debriefing following a simulated experience in a tertiary health care setting. This qualitative study was guided by phenomenology, as developed by Heidegger and Gadamer, and included 10 health professionals (nurses, doctors, and a midwife) debriefing simulation experiences. Data were collected through individual interviews and analysed through iterative re-writing and the generation of three stories as getting started; supporting the debrief to unfold, and knowing how to end. This study affirmed the role of the facilitator in debriefing following simulated experiences. The facilitator’s role includes leading the dialogue beyond “talk” and into “learning”. The art of asking a question, working with silence, and enabling learning all require skill. Through experience, facilitators learn to respond to whatever unfolds in the session. This study contributed detail of what facilitators do to draw out thinking, which confirmed their essential role. Facilitators cannot prepare a script for debriefing beforehand but must rely on their debriefing know-how to respond in each debrief. The facilitator’s know-how is therefore central to debriefing following simulated experiences.