Interprofessional Education: Using Live Simulation to Enhance Collaboration and Communication

The purpose of the simulation was to expose healthcare students in nursing, occupational therapy, and social work to the benefits of and barriers to interprofessional collaboration and communication through a live patient lab simulation. The interprofessional lab simulation was divided into three phases which included: 1) preparation through various teaching methods and lab simulation tours, 2) participating in the actual simulated case scenarios followed by interprofessional medical rounds and reflective exercises, and 3) group presentation of collaborative findings and discharge planning, and learning experiences. The collaboration between the professional program students aimed to link classroom teaching with clinical practice by fostering team work, problem-solving, communication, leadership, and critical thinking. Feedback from students was positive, where many indicated that more types of interprofessional experiences should be embedded throughout the programs and would be valuable for the development of important clinical skills