Using a Standardized Patient Model for Interprofessional Team Training in Social Work

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a single-session Interprofessional Team (IPT) Training that incorporates the practice of interprofessional teamwork using a health care case study. We will share how a large-scale training that requires interprofessional teams of students to create a treatment plan of care for a standardized patient developed over time and how this experiential learning activity affects learning outcomes for social work students related to interprofessional awareness and teamwork skills. Additionally, we will explore the use of video technology as a pedagogical approach to presenting standardized patients to students. Student responses from three IPT Training sessions provided the data discussed in this article. While overall results are mixed about students’ learning outcomes, trends in the data show this single-session, interprofessional training involving a standardized patient as a promising practice. Lessons learned for social work education are also discussed. The present study advances the field of interprofessional simulation by contributing to our understanding of how a team-based training combined with a standardized patient can be used to increase social work students’ professional awareness about interprofessional teamwork.