Impact of Interprofessional Simulation on Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Teamwork and Collaboration

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a multipatient, interprofessional simulation session on nursing students' attitudes toward nurse-physician collaboration using the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration. METHOD: Final-semester nursing students, along with medical resident and students from other health programs, participated in a simulation exercise that included a period of prebriefing, simulation, and debriefing. Participants completed pre- and postsimulation surveys to assess the impact on collaboration. RESULTS: In total, 268 nursing students completed the survey. Participants had a more positive attitude toward nurse-physician collaboration following the simulation event, compared with prior to it. Significant differences between male and female nursing students were found on mean postsimulation scores and for three of the four subscales of the tool. CONCLUSION: Interprofessional simulation may be an effective way to enhance collaborative relationships, which ultimately may influence patient safety and quality of care. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(6):321-327.].