Interprofessional Simulation in Prelicensure Learners

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a necessary and important component of many prelicensure health professions’ curricula, reflecting an understanding of the critical role played by high-performing teams in healthcare. Simulation-based training offers many unique and impactful benefits as an instructional method in teamwork skills training; however, there are many factors to consider in creating and implementing an effective IPE simulation experience. We focus on IPE simulation as part of the initial instruction on the formation and function of high-performing teams for prelicensure learners in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and social work. We address logistical considerations from conception to execution, curriculum development, and preparation of faculty and students for the experience. We present lessons learned from our curriculum at the University of Texas Austin and acknowledge the need for more robust evaluation tools for the outcomes of IPE simulation training.