‘It causes me to minimise myself’: impostor phenomenon in simulation educators

TL;DR

This study explores how healthcare simulation educators experience impostor phenomenon, a feeling of being unqualified despite success, and suggests ways to support them.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into impostor phenomenon among simulation educators using qualitative analysis of lived experiences.

Findings

Impostor phenomenon among simulation educators is cyclical and impacts self-perception and professional behavior.

Educators described both positive and negative effects of impostor phenomenon on their work.

Themes included the need for external validation and self-minimisation in professional settings.

Abstract

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.

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