0215 Learning To Work Together: How Interprofessional Simulation Enables Undergraduate Medics In The Their Understanding Of Interprofessional Practice

Background/context Full patient simulation provides a safe learning environment that lends itself well to interprofessional learning with a chance for post-experience debriefing of both technical and non-technical skills.1 However, little work has been done to investigate the learning that occurs during these interactions, and how it effects students’ on-going professional behaviour.2 Methodology This study employs phenomenology,3,4 a qualitative inquiry approach, to explore the learning that occurs in and after an interprofessional full-patient simulation course for final year undergraduate medical and nursing students. Results/outcomes Analysis of interviews, which explore the students’ experiences and sense-making in the simulation setting, showed that three key themes emerged relating specifically to the important contributions of the interprofessional aspect of the course. These effects were: An increase in the sociological fidelity of the simulation An experiential learning opportunity to engage first-hand in teamworking in clinical practice A greater understanding of the nurse’s role, knowledge and abilities as a result of the simulation Conclusions and recommendations These results specifically argue for the contribution of the interprofessional aspect of the course to the medical students’ simulation experience in respect to working with and understanding their nursing colleagues. This study adds to Sharma et al’s5 claim that increasing the sociological fidelity of a simulation can increase the quality of non-technical skill learning—and therefore a corresponding transferability into interprofessional practice. We also highlight that there remains a large gap in medical undergraduate training on understanding nurses’ role, knowledge and abilities; simulation can help address this through both experiential learning in the simulated scenario and in the post-simulation debriefs. We argue that these important benefits from delivering undergraduate simulation in an interprofessional manner outweigh any potential added expense and logistical issues. References Palaganas JC, Epps C, Raemer DB., A history of simulation-enhanced interprofessional education. Journal of interprofessional care, 2014. 28(2): p. 110–5 Tofil NM, et al. Interprofessional simulation training improves knowledge and teamwork in nursing and medical students during internal medicine clerkship. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2014. Published online 13/1/14 Moustakas C. Phenomenological R