Standardized Patient Actor

University of New Hampshire; Durham (NH); On-site; USD 21,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

The University of New Hampshire seeks a Standardized Patient Actor to support health sciences education in Durham. You will portray patients, families, or other roles, delivering consistent cues to help learners practice clinical and communication skills in a safe learning environment.

Training and collaboration with simulation faculty are required. The role offers hourly compensation and occasional evenings or weekends as scheduling permits.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to portray a wide range of emotions, behaviors, and physical presentations.
• Capacity to accept coaching and incorporate feedback.
• Reliability, punctuality, and attention to detail.
• Comfort working with diverse learners, faculty, and staff.
• Ability to maintain role boundaries and confidentiality.
• Basic comfort with simulation environments and audiovisual recording (training provided).

Responsibilities

• Portray patients, caregivers, or other assigned roles in accordance with case scripts, learning objectives, and performance standards.
• Deliver consistent verbal, nonverbal, emotional, and physical cues across repeated learner encounters.
• Adapt performance in real time while maintaining case fidelity and educational intent.
• Participate in simulation activities that may include clinical skills practice, communication scenarios, interprofessional education, and assessment exercises.

Skills

Strong communication

Interpersonal skills

Emotional range portrayal

Coaching receptiveness

Reliability & punctuality

Diversity & inclusion

AV equipment familiarity

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

The Standardized Patient (SP) Actor supports health sciences student education by portraying patients, family members, or other roles in simulation-based learning activities. Working under the direction of Director of Simulation and simulation faculty and staff, the SP Actor provides consistent, realistic, and educationally aligned performances that allow learners to practice clinical, communication, and interprofessional skills in a psychologically safe environment.

Duties/Responsibilities

Standardized Patient Performance (60%)

• Portray patients, caregivers, or other assigned roles in accordance with case scripts, learning objectives, and performance standards.
• Deliver consistent verbal, nonverbal, emotional, and physical cues across repeated learner encounters.
• Adapt performance in real time while maintaining case fidelity and educational intent.
• Participate in simulation activities that may include clinical skills practice, communication scenarios, interprofessional education, and assessment exercises.

Training, Preparation, and Collaboration (25%)

• Attend required training sessions, rehearsals, and case briefings prior to simulation activities.
• Learn case details including patient history, affect, physical presentation, and expected learner responses.
• Collaborate with simulation faculty and staff to clarify expectations and refine role portrayal.
• Review and incorporate feedback to improve performance accuracy and consistency.

Feedback, Evaluation, and Professional Conduct (15%)

• When trained, provide structured, objective feedback to learners based on defined frameworks.
• Maintain confidentiality of learners, cases, and assessment outcomes.
• Uphold professional standards, reliability, and respectful communication at all times.
• Support a psychologically safe learning environment for learners and fellow SPs.

Requirements

Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to memorize information, follow detailed instructions, and perform consistently.
• Prior acting, teaching, healthcare, customer service, or training experience may substitute for formal education.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to portray a wide range of emotions, behaviors, and physical presentations.
• Capacity to accept coaching and incorporate feedback.
• Reliability, punctuality, and attention to detail.
• Comfort working with diverse learners, faculty, and staff.
• Ability to maintain role boundaries and confidentiality.
• Basic comfort with simulation environments and audiovisual recording (training provided).

Other Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, or move for extended periods during simulation activities.
• Willingness to portray sensitive or emotionally complex scenarios (with advance notice and support).
• Availability for variable scheduling, including occasional evenings or weekends.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience as a standardized patient or standardized participant.
• Acting, improvisation, or performance background.
• Experience in healthcare, education, or human services.
• Experience providing feedback or participating in educational assessment.

Compensation Pay Range

$15 - $40/hour

The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources

Location

Durham

Salary Grade

Adjunct Hourly Staff 00