Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Simulation: A Collaborative Approach Between Three Healthcare Professions

Abstract :

Introduction: Interprofessional collaboration in healthcare settings is essential to safe patient care, yet opportunities to practice interprofessional collaboration are limited in health professions education. Interprofessional simulation (IPS) provides health professions students with opportunities to learn and develop communication, cooperation, and clinical skills while interacting with members of an interprofessional team. Faculty from three institutions in Northeast Iowa collaborated to fill gaps in clinical education by providing an IPS learning experience for athletic training, nursing, and paramedic students.

Methods: An IPS scenario based on experiential learning theory and IPS learning standards was developed for implementation in a simulated gymnasium, ambulance, and emergency room using a standardized patient with head, neck, and elbow injuries. To evaluate the IPS, students complete the University of the West of England Interprofessional Questionnaire (UWE-IQ) and the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified (Set-M). To accommodate teams of 6-8 students, the IPS was offered on two dates during fall 2022.

Results: Thirty students participated in the first IPS, 26 of whom provided complete evaluation data. UWE-IQ results indicated significant improvement in students’ attitudes about interprofessional learning (p = .008) and relationships (p = .036) following the IPS. SET-M results demonstrated agreement (i.e., average ratings > 2.5, where 3.0 = strongly agree, 1.0 = do not agree) regarding the impact of the IPS on their interprofessional communication, collaboration, knowledge, skills, and confidence related to the patient injury scenario.

Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest this multi-institutional IPS has a positive impact on students’ attitudes about interprofessional learning and simulation.