The Evaluation of a Simulated Interprofessional Education Session Between Dietetics and Acting Students

This paper evaluates a simulated interprofessional education (IPE) session that brought together dietetic and acting students to explore the development of communication skills and collaborative practice through role-play consultations. Designed to foster experiential learning, the session enabled dietetics students to practice patient-centred communication while acting students portrayed patients based on character briefs and offered feedback from a service-user perspective.

The session aimed to enhance empathy, rapport-building, and professional adaptability across both disciplines. Evaluation data were collected via a structured questionnaire completed by 17 dietetic and 5 acting students, assessing areas including skill development, interprofessional collaboration, and session impact.

Results indicated high satisfaction, with 100% of participants rating the session positively and reporting gains in communication, teamwork, and understanding of interdisciplinary roles. Both groups valued the opportunity to apply their respective skills in a realistic, low-risk setting, highlighting the benefits of including nontraditional disciplines in IPE. Recommendations for future iterations include expanding scenario diversity and providing more time for practice and feedback.

Overall, the session was found to be an effective and engaging method of supporting communication competence and mutual learning between healthcare and performing arts students.