Tying it all together with high impact learning through interdisciplinary healthcare simulation

Abstract

<p>There is a gap of knowledge on what is best practice for conducting large-scale simulation for interdisciplinary education. Currently, bringing multiple disciplines together to learn how to work in a collaborative manner in order to achieve the best outcomes for patients has been initiated in the healthcare world, but this modality is still relatively new to education, particularly in undergraduate disciplines. Best practice should involve undergraduate and graduate education in the healthcare disciplines learning to work together prior to these healthcare practitioners going into the workforce. Patient safety is the top priority for all healthcare disciplines, so a proactive approach might be to include this type of training earlier rather than later, after bad habits are already formed. This project is one way to help bridge the gap between the disciplines of nursing, social work and interpreting services (specifically American Sign Language) by inserting students from each discipline into a high impact simulation-based learning experience. Multiple patients, both high-fidelity mannequins and Standardized Participants were utilized to bring about a four hour experience unlike any other the students have experienced during their time in their studies.</p>