Simulation as a means to foster collaborative interdisciplinary education.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial in healthcare.
• Educational strategies are needed to foster early collaboration between future healthcare professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To initiate interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and medical students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of simulation as an educational strategy for interprofessional learning.
• To analyze student perceptions of collaboration.

Main Methods:

• A pre/posttest design was employed.
• High-fidelity simulation (mock code) was used for interprofessional training.
• A convenience sample of nursing and medical students participated.

Main Results:

• Medical students showed statistically significant improvements in collaboration and nursing autonomy post-simulation.
• Nursing students reported a more collaborative nurse-physician relationship after the simulation.
• Both student groups perceived the simulation positively and recommended its continuation.

Conclusions:

• High-fidelity simulation is an effective educational strategy for fostering interprofessional collaboration between nursing and medical students.
• Simulation experiences can positively influence students' perceptions of teamwork and professional roles.
• The study supports the integration of interprofessional simulation into medical and nursing curricula.