Simulation-Based Dysphagia Training: Teaching Interprofessional Clinical Reasoning in a Hospital Environment

Area of Science:

• Allied Health Education
• Medical Simulation
• Interprofessional Education

Background:

• Healthcare professions require strong clinical reasoning and hospital readiness.
• Traditional training may not fully prepare students for interprofessional hospital environments.
• Simulation-based learning offers a controlled environment to develop these skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of simulation-based training on hospital readiness.
• To assess the development of interprofessional clinical reasoning skills in students.
• To determine the effectiveness of a simulation package for allied health students.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-one speech-language pathology and dietetics students participated in simulation workshops.
• Training included hospital orientation, skill learning, and simulated patient cases.
• Student preparedness, knowledge, and clinical reasoning were assessed via surveys and clinical vignettes before and after training.

Main Results:

• Simulation workshops were positively received by all students.
• Significant increases in self-reported confidence, preparedness, and knowledge were observed (p < .001).
• Overall scores on clinical vignettes, particularly clinical reasoning, significantly improved post-training (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional simulation-based training effectively enhances hospital readiness in allied health students.
• Simulation is a valuable tool for improving clinical reasoning skills in a healthcare context.
• This approach prepares students for collaborative practice in hospital settings.