ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to develop, deliver, and assess relevant interprofessional (IP) simulation experiences for prelicensure students from multiple disciplines in certificate, diploma, and degree programs. Seventy-eight students from four post-secondary institutions participated in either a high-fidelity mannequin postoperative simulation experience (dynamic simulation) or a standardized patient homecare simulation experience (routine simulation). The University of West England Questionnaire was used pre- and post-simulation experience to determine the change in communication and teamwork. Overall, students' perceptions of their communication and teamwork skills increased after completing either simulation. Students from certificate, diploma, and degree programs participating in the same simulations demonstrated improvements on self-report measures of communication and teamwork. The key was creating a simulation learning experience that reflected the realities of practice, rather than the participants' credentials. Placing students in teams that are relevant for practice, rather than grouping them by academic credentials, is necessary and can provide positive learning experiences for all participants, as demonstrated by these results.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Interprofessional Relations , Students, Health Occupations/psychology , Communication , England , Female , Humans , Male , Manikins , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
An inter-institutional partnership of four post-secondary institutions and a health provider formed a learning community with the goal of developing, implementing and evaluating interprofessional learning experiences in simulation-based environments. The organization, education and educational research activities of the learning community align with the institutional and instructional reforms recommended by the Lancet Commission on Health Professional Education for the 21st century. This article provides an overview of the inter-institutional collaboration, including the interprofessional simulation learning experiences, instructor development activities and preliminary results from the evaluation.