Impact of a simulation-based interprofessional workshop in medical and nursing students' perception of roles and competencies in effective teamwork: a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction Collaboration and communication among healthcare team members are critical components for high-quality patient care therefore Interprofessional (IP) learning should be included in healthcare curricula. There is a scarcity of simulation-based interprofessional education (IPE), especially in the undergraduate education. Considering the above educational need, a simulation-based workshop targeting interprofessional teams of healthcare students (medicine and nursing) was created, aiming the development of IP team perception (understanding of roles and competencies) and the use of Non-Technical-Skills (NTS) to promote effective IP teamwork. Material and Methods A total of twenty-three final year students (6th year medical and 4th year nursing students) were invited to participate in the workshop. Teams of three or four elements (medical and nursing students) were exposed to two critical patient management simulation scenarios. To assess the impact of the workshop three validated surveys (ATTITUDES, JSAPNC, and IPEC) were applied before and after the workshop. Results Student awareness of interprofessional learning and self-competency in IP practice improved. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing the overall pre- and post- scores, for both medical and nursing students, in the three surveys. The largest increase was observed in the medical students' perception of IP interaction and value (IPEC survey) and in the nursing students' perception of IP interaction (IPEC survey). Discussion and Conclusions These findings scientifically corroborate the need for simulation-based IP programs, integrated in the undergraduate curricula, promoting clinical interactions of different professional groups. In the Portuguese setting, as in many countries across Europe, such novel program is needed and is expected to be well received.