Simulation as an effective educational tool is widely recognized among nursing colleges due to the controlled environment where time constraints and risk to patients is eliminated and faculty observation of student performance is maximized. Simulation can be utilized to promote IP teamwork and collaboration among healthcare professional students. Healthcare professional students that train alongside one another in complex patient care scenarios can learn to communicate effectively with the team, increase knowledge and respect of other professions, gain confidence in advocating for patients and creating effective care plans.
Though the benefits of IP simulation are vast, few have been successful in implementing it. Developing an IP simulation program can be very challenging for multiple reasons. Stakeholder buy-in can be lacking due to previous experiences and attitudes about simulation in general as well as the value of team training. The logistics of getting multiple healthcare students together that have incongruent schedules can be an insurmountable task. Choosing appropriate levels of student participants from each profession and creating patient scenarios that meet the needs of the entire team can be a grueling activity. Many healthcare educators feel defeated before getting started.
In May of 2012, a core group of IP faculty and staff at our university began the development of a simulated experience which would eventually grow to incorporate eleven health professional programs. Students from Nursing (BSN, CNL and ACNP programs), Medicine, Pharmacy, Social Work, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology and Medical Dietetics participate together in a two patient, acute care scenario involving standardized patient actors. Six months were spent planning the simulation objectives, patient cases and all of the necessary logistics which culminated in a series of simulations that first occurred seven years ago.
Components of the experience include team rounding and collaborative patient treatment care for two complex patients on a progressive care unit. The objectives of the experience mirror the IPEC goals to create a climate of mutual respect and understanding, understand the roles and responsibilities of the other professions, develop interprofessional communication skills, and develop an IP team plan of care to improve patient outcomes across the lifespan. Simulation feedback collected through use of the Simulation Effectiveness Tool, a standardized tool has been overwhelmingly positive and is used to make program process improvements. Students repeatedly emphasize that all healthcare students should have the opportunity to go through the experience, that more IP simulations are needed and that it was their most valuable simulation in their programs. These simulations are conducted each semester and more than 4,500 health science students have participated in the first seven years. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale Questionnaire, a standardized tool, was used to examine the attitudes of participating students pre- and post-simulation. An overall p-value of < .001 was reported, reflecting a positive change in attitude and increased understanding of professional roles. For the qualitative data, the researchers reflected on videos of the simulations. Through inductive analysis they found four themes: learning the roles of others, seeing the big picture, increasing trust and confidence and appreciating the simulated setting. Current research involves having students participate in online IP teamwork education modules prior to their simulations to maximize learning.
This presentation will showcase a successful IP simulation program detailing the development process, lessons learned, outcomes and next steps. Participants will improve their knowledge and skills in creating and maintaining interprofessional simulations in their healthcare education programs. They will also be equipped to overcome challenges and potential pitfalls related to the implementation of an IP simulation program.