The Impact of Simulation-based Interprofessional Education on Systems Thinking, Innovative Behaviors, and Perceptions...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Nursing Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) offers benefits but faces low implementation rates due to practical barriers and lack of awareness among healthcare educators.
• Nursing educators, in particular, require effective strategies to overcome these challenges and integrate IPE into curricula.
• Existing frameworks, such as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials, provide guidance for developing interprofessional partnerships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a simulation-based IPE program on nursing educators' systems thinking, innovative behaviors, and perceptions of IPE.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief, intensive IPE training program for nursing educators in South Korea.
• To determine if the program aligns with AACN Essentials for interprofessional education.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-survey design was used with 69 nursing educators from three regions in South Korea.
• Participants attended a 1-day program including a lecture on IPE and simulation-based team-building activities.
• Surveys assessed demographics, prior IPE experience, knowledge, perceived barriers, systems thinking, innovative behaviors, and IPE perceptions.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (89.8%) of participants reported limited prior knowledge of IPE.
• Common barriers identified included scheduling, low enthusiasm, exclusive attitudes, and poor understanding of other disciplines.
• Post-program, participants showed significant improvements in systems thinking, innovative behaviors, and overall perceptions of IPE.

Conclusions:

• A brief, simulation-based IPE program, aligned with AACN Essentials, can effectively enhance nursing educators' readiness to implement IPE.
• Simulation-based training offers a practical approach to overcome common barriers to IPE adoption in nursing education.
• The findings support the integration of such programs to foster interprofessional collaboration and improve healthcare education.