Trials and Tribulations in the Development of a Simulation-Based Interprofessional Education Activity

Abstract

It is well documented that interprofessional education (IPE) enables the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for collaboration as well as having a positive impact on patient care. Exploring innovative ways to facilitate interprofessional student learning that will affect patient care is paramount. One of the tenets of effective IPE is that it is most effective when learning methods reflect real-life practice such as that experienced by students in simulations. Thus, simulation as a modality in IPE offers many of the educational benefits desirable in an IPE activity. In this paper we describe the process by which we developed a pilot simulationbased IPE activity involving ten faculty and professional staff members from three universities/colleges, and ten students from four disciplines. We will discuss the development of the program using the IPEC Core Competencies and TeamSTEPPS, implementation, evaluation tools, and challenges of developing this type of experience for a team of interprofessional students. Finally, we provide five take-home points to consider when developing a similar experience.