"That wall was broken down": Building reciprocal learning partnerships through interprofessional simulation learning

Purpose: Globally, healthcare education programs, including nursing, are increasingly utilizing simulation-based learning despite limited research to guide its pedagogical application. To date, the use of simulation in... [ view full abstract ]

Purpose: Globally, healthcare education programs, including nursing, are increasingly utilizing simulation-based learning despite limited research to guide its pedagogical application. To date, the use of simulation in undergraduate healthcare education has predominately embraced a uni-professional approach, but with the evolution of the modern healthcare environment there is a need to move beyond discipline specific training and embrace interprofessional modes of practice. Interprofessional simulation learning (ISL) has shown limited the potential to build reciprocal learning partnerships and improve patient care. However the emerging body of literature on the application of ISL highlights the need to further increase our understanding in order to maximize the integration of ISL into undergraduate nursing curricula.

Method: Due to the limited body of knowledge related to ISL, a descriptive qualitative inquiry approach was chosen to explore the perceptions of undergraduate nursing and pharmacy students from a large Western Canadian university during and after they engaged in a variety of interprofessional simulated clinical scenarios. Data collection consisted of semi-structured individual and focus group interviews supplemented by secondary data from researchers’ observational field notes.

Results: Through thematic content analysis, themes have emerged highlighting the role ISL-based clinical scenarios play in the development of both disciplinary and interprofessional learning. More specifically, students viewed the ISL experiences as having a positive impact on their awareness of their colleague’s as well as their own discipline’s roles in the clinical environment. In addition participants noted the potential ISL has to improve patient care through collaborative decision making.

Conclusion/Discussion: The purpose of this presentation will be to present the study findings and engage the audience in a discussion of the themes that emerged. Through discussion we hope to increase educator awareness of this teaching/learning modality and its positive impact on role awareness and the interprofessional collaboration skills vital in the modern healthcare environment.